In the Eyes of the Priestess
by Pink Crystalline Roses
Summary: A young girl born in 1021 Before the Fall of Cocoon gets transported by Etro to Cocoon 500 years in the future to study the life of the vipers. Will discovering offer her salvation, or will she be forever consumed by madness?
1. Chapter 1: The War

**A/N: Welcome to my new story, In the Eyes of the Priestess. As like my previous story, Final Fantasy XIII-2 Truth or Dare stated, this story is not related to Truth or Dare. This is taken mostly from the POV of my OC, Alea Corrale.**

**PS: Real name will be revealed _waaaaaaay _later.**

* * *

_Clash._

_Gunshots._

_Clash._

_Roar._

_Screams._

The beast Ragnarok is on its way to destroy Lindzei's Nest, Cocoon. A place where the vipers refer to as 'Paradise'. Apparently, that is not going to last any longer the sooner Ragnarok destroy it.

I glanced at the cursed place, casting more magic spells to the next fleet of soldiers. With a battle cry, I leaped as high as I could and stabbed my staff into a soldier's heart. What happens next made me froze.

_Impossible! Why can't I move? _I grunted as I tried to move, but an invisible force pinned me in this very position. I glanced skywards, and saw a beam of light pierce Ragnarok, crystallizing the creator. _NO! You're close to destroy Cocoon! Very close! _I let out an inaudible cry as cold, searing pain creep up my body.

_You are close to destroy it._

_Very close._

_Why do you fail to do it? Why?_

* * *

"Nnh," I moaned softly, feeling the cold, hard ground beneath me. "No. Way. No way, I'm still dreaming." I shook my head, realizing that this place is—

Valhalla.

"What the hell? How did I come to this place?" I slowly hoisted myself up, walking to a dependable place, Etro's Shrine.

When I arrived at the throne, I saw a lithe figure sitting on it, surrounded by strands of Chaos. I bowed respectfully, waiting for a response. I can sense Etro's gaze on me. "Why," I whispered hoarsely. "Why did you stop Ragnarok?" I glared at the goddess, who shook her head. "_I pity them._" She said, dismissing the Chaos strands. Long ruffled blonde hair and striking amethyst eyes, the goddess looked divine. "So you pity the vipers? They're the ones that took our precious nature resources, for Pulse's sake!" I pointed my staff accusingly at her. Etro shot up, amethyst eyes widening. Then she sighed. "_You do not understand my divine purposes, warrior. What about your friends and family, hm?_" Etro asked in a sweet voice, walking down the crystal stairwell to her throne. Her hand shot upwards, covered in an unworldly blue glow. "_You have underestimated me. My sister will not be proud. As a punishment, you will be sent to Cocoon to intently study their actions. See if they are really that hostile._"

Luminous white feathers swirled, encasing myself in a bright white light. The light faded, revealing new clothes. Striped pastel blue and white beach top, long-sleeved short black jacket, a pair of tight blue shorts, and white ankle boots. On my wrists are metal wristbands, my hands adorned with black fingerless gloves. Slung across my waist was a black waist pack. What remains original is my dagger, crystal bottle filled with healing liquid, and my Moonstone pendant.

A beatiful silver and gold bowsword appeared from a puff of white mist and I catched it. "Fairy Bow," I breathed, feeling a bit dizzy. The air around me is distorted and crackling with black lightning. An Anomaly.

_Where will you take me, Etro?_

_And, who is your sister really was?_

The last thing I see before blacking out was Etro's soft smile as she summoned a Rift to swallow me.

_What does the future really hold? I don't know. But I wanted to discover, even if it takes a very long time, even for ages._

_I'll find out. I swear it._

_And I shall never break that promise._

* * *

**A/N: Sob. That's the prologue. I'm not good at describing something, and I have no idea how Etro really looks like. Well,**

**Read and Review!**

**~ EternalCrystal13-2**


	2. Chapter 2: Making Friends

_4 months later_

I sat silently in my house, eyeing my bowsword. That event in Valhalla was unforgettable. Somehow, I managed to build a house at the beautiful seaside city of Bodhum. Maybe.. Cocoon's not too bad as I imagined.

_Since when.. Do I start to like this world?_

Deciding to go out on a walk, I dismissed the bow and tied my boots, running outside. One thing Bodhum is famous for is its sunset view. Strolling along the beach, I was lost in thoughts. I continued to walk as something, or _someone_, bumped into me.

"Ow!" The girl yelped as we both were knocked back. The girl has a long, wavy bright pink hair tied into a side ponytail and dark blue eyes. "Sorry! Are you okay? I wasn't looking!" The girl smiled and offered a hand to help me up. I took her hand and hoisted myself up. "Oh! You're that new resident in Bodhum! You moved here 4 months ago, right? My name's Serah Farron." Serah said in acknowledgement.

_How in Pulse's name can she guess quickly?_

"How smart. I'm Alea Corrale. Nice to meet you." I said, offering Serah a hand and she shook it. "What are you doing here?" Serah tilted her head, giving a questioning look. "Nothing. Just lost in thoughts." I replied, shaking my head faintly. Serah gave me a sad look. "I'm lonely.. My sister rarely can accompany me. So, will you be my friend? Please?" she gave her puppy-dog eyes. "Sure. Why not? I've been alone these days." I replied, laughing softly. "You really should find someone. How old are you?" Serah asked as we walked along the shore. "20. Really, I'm not interested in anyone. Just me." I answered, though a bit taken aback by her sudden question. _Um.. Yeah.. About that.._

"Your sister.. Is Lightning Farron, right? A Sergeant of GC from the BSR-GC region?" I asked, this time a bit smug. "Yeah, how would you know?" "I met someone called Amodar yesterday, he said that his best right-hand man is your sister, is he her superior?" "Yeah. He's a kind officer. He tends to care about my sister, she's just _so_ foolhardy. You bet that." Serah smiled, sitting on the soft sand. I quickly followed as we continued our conversation till it was dark.

"Hmm.. It's too dark now. My sister must be worried. See you tomorrow, Alea!" Serah waved as she began to walk away in the opposite direction. "See you Serah!" I waved in reply, sprinting back to my house.

_Things changed._


	3. Chapter 3: Day 7: Rebranded

**A/N: For an important note, this happens at Day 7.**

* * *

I paced around my house, waiting for a certain someone.

Well, he didn't come in time.

Sighing, I plopped down on a chair and tapped the table impatiently.

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

"'Lea! You in there?!" A knock sounded on the door. "Took you long enough!" I growled, opening the door to reveal Rygdea. "I'm not at fault! My headquarters was at Palumpolum!" Rygdea replied in exasperation, flailing his arms in panic as if I would punch him anytime.

"About yesterday.. Raines accepted you. Plus, we're willing to give you some basic training if you want. Meet me tomorrow at the HQ!" He said, exiting my house._ That's it? As if I needed some 'basic training', _I fumed, slamming the door behind him. _What the hell. Calm down, this aren't you._ I let out a wheeze and is about to take a nap, when a knock sounded. Again.

I opened the door, to take a few steps back as a hyper Serah bursted through the door, trying to tackle me down to the floor. "Surprise! Happy birthday, Alea!" Serah said, giggling. Yeah, right, my twenty-first birthday.

"Serah! You shocked me! I thought Rygdea forgot something to say and came back here!" I shouted, backing away a few steps from the energetic strawberry blonde. "I brought you something, just open it now!" She giggled more, sitting on the couch. I marveled at the beautiful metal case, seeing a Cocoon carving on it and the cupcakes Serah baked for me on the coffee table.

"Yum. These are delicious," I said, taking a bite of the cupcake. "I baked it myself. You know what, Lightning really sucks at cooking! But she's better at housework, so.. Yeah." Serah grinned, almost laughing at the thought of Lightning cooking. I opened the case, revealing a studded butterfly pendant. "Well, wear it, silly." Serah clasped her own pendant. "Okay, okay." I laughed, clasping mine around my neck. "Etro! I had something to do! Sorry Alea, see you next time!" Serah panicked and rushed to the door. _What in the world?_

I peeked through my window and saw a familiar structure surrounded by mystical red aura. _The Vestige? Wha—_

I snapped out of my thought as dark threads bound me. _No, no no NO! _I let out a scream as darkness engulfed me.

* * *

"Dammit." I cursed, lying face down on cold metal. "Anima," I gasped, staring right at gleaming purple crystal. Anima's gears whirred as he summoned a pair of Manipulators. "Okay if you say so!" I yelled at the fal'Cie, summoning my bow. "I knew it! You don't protect Oerba from the attacks of the damned Cocoon fal'Cie!" I shouted angrily as I slashed continuously at the purple crystal. An angry whir is my response as Anima regenerated his Manipulators. The black butterfly crystal on my bow flashed a bright red, healing my cuts. "You will pa—"I froze. Everything stopped. Then an image, a memory exploded on my vision.

"Stop this! STOP THIS NOW!" I screamed, reliving the horrible memories of my friend dying, and the death of my parents.

_"I will not", _An airy voice spoke.

The face of the god Pulse appeared as a luminous vine pierced the left side of my neck. I screamed, feeling the burning pain from my other brand. Then the pain of something precious ripped away from me.

I closed my eyes as images of Ragnarok appeared. Everything went black by then.

_Sweet events, and then a nightmare reborn._

_Is all this related?_

* * *

**A/N: Can you guess what do I mean by 'something precious'? Well, find out in later chaps!**

**~EternalCrystal13-2**


	4. Chapter 4: Day 12: Night of Fireworks

**A/N: This happened mostly in Day 7, though the final part happened in Day 12, hence the title.**

* * *

Serah strolled happily on the way to Alea's house. Maker, she forgot to leave some food for her sister! She can't bear the thought of Lightning not eating this evening. She can't even cook for herself.

_Silly Lightning, _Serah thought. _Every time I teach you how to cook—Whatever, at least an omelet! You stared at the pan as if it's an alien. Kinda cute, though._ Serah kept grinning while walking; something that team NORA noticed. She arrived at the wooden house, smiling as she knocked the door. "Alea! You in there? Open the—Alea!" Serah panicked as she busted inside, staring at the unconscious girl with wide eyes.

Alea was out on the floor, but somehow her face is still plain. "Alea, wake up!" Serah shook the older girl's arm repeatedly. A pair of jewel orbs shot open from their slumber. "Serah! Where am—Huh?" Alea looked around her surroundings, looking confused.

Horror came on Serah as she saw a Pulse l'Cie brand on Alea's neck.

* * *

I blinked in disbelief. I can see Serah's concerned face, but something that confuses me more than anything, how the hell can I be here in a flash?

"A-Alea.. Your neck.. A l'CIe brand.." Serah whimpered, covering her mouth with hands as she stared at the cuts and bruises on my arm and leg. Seeing this, I casted a Cure spell to it, healing the cuts. "What happened?" I asked groggily, grabbing my sword. I realized the butterfly crystal is gone from the hilt.

_This is the second jolt of pain I felt.._

* * *

_The face of the god Pulse appeared as a luminous vine pierced the left side of my neck. I screamed, feeling the burning pain from my other brand. Then the pain of something precious ripped away from me._

_I closed my eyes as images of Ragnarok appeared. Everything went black by then._

_Sweet events, and then a nightmare reborn._

_Is all this related?_

* * *

"It's all related.." I mumbled, not realizing that Serah is still beside me. "What?" Serah asked, raising her eyebrow. "Serah! Don't just stand here! Go! I don't want you to be involved in all this! _Just leave me alone!_" I growled at the girl, pushing her to the front door. "What are you talking about?!" Serah protested as I slammed the door.

I dropped myself down on the floor, sobbing quietly. _Why? I lost his trust! What should I do from now? What I wanted most.. Is for Serah not to be involved in all this. She doesn't deserve a fate like mine!_

The emergency TV turned on in a flash, speaking something about the whole town of Bodhum to be Purged due to l'Cie problems. Shit.

Unfortunately, I didn't notice Serah's bandaged left arm.

* * *

Serah paced around her room, thinking of what that just happened. She prayed to dear Maker that Alea did not see her bandaged left arm. _I just wish she didn't. if she did, it could ruin all my secrets._ Memories flooded back to the girl, memories of happier days.

But all those happier days were taken by the sudden death of her parents. Of Lightning registering to the Corps and frequently going out on missions, leaving her alone only with nightmares of her sister dying and she'll be alone for eternity.

Sobs came out from Serah, her body shaking uncontrollably. Fate is cruel. It made her jealous that her friends in Eden University still had their caring parents. They all had their happy endings approaching themselves, and hers was taken from her.

_If only my parents are still living._

* * *

_~ Day 12 ~_

I stared at the semitransparent blue dome of exploding fireworks. Fireworks Display Night.

Fireworks Display Night was a common event in Bodhum. Almost like a tradition, though. People say, if you close your eyes and ask for something in this event, your wish will come true. _Make my wish come true, huh? _I mused, still staring. _Should I believe it or should I not?_

Sighing, I sat down on the sand and continued to stare, lost in a stream of thoughts. Really, I wished that I die back then at the war. I closed my eyes, wishing for something I always wanted.

_No wars. Just peace. No destruction._

Opening my eyes, I smiled softly at the thought. I really wished that would come true.

History will be altered and I'll live a normal life at Gran Pulse.

Even if that means never meeting Serah, nor making friends with her. Not knowing Cocoon, or witnessing the truth behind the vipers. Am I really that selfish, wishing that I died back then while warring Cocoon? Am I?

_If only I can..._


	5. Chapter 5: The Purge

I stared quietly at the cuffs that bound my wrists.

Say what, the Purge? Yeah, you're right.

I eyed a soldier walking around, keeping cautious eyes on us Purgees, gun in hand. That soldier was oblivious to what that was about to happen.

When he wasn't looking, I stood up and smacked the back of his head and smashed the controller he dropped, breaking the cuffs. I summoned my bow and fired arrows as more PSICOM soldiers poured in. Most of the Purgees screamed in fear as I somersaulted and stabbed a soldier, killing him. _No use staring, _I thought and derailed the Purge train and opening the door.

"Everyone! Get out quickly! And, be careful!" I ordered, in which everyone obeyed quickly. A girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes stared at me, holding a brown-haired girl's hand. "What are you doing here like sitting ducks? Come on, quickly!" I shoved both girls to the door. The blonde-haired girl looked into my eyes one again before gathering momentum to jump down.

"Thank you." The girl said meekly and jumped down. "Don't thank me now." I growled and jumped down.

The storm is here.

* * *

Lightning walked along the warpath of the Hanging Edge, a middle-aged man followed behind her. He panted and wheezed, which Lightning found out normal due to his old age. "Hey kid, can you slow down, please? I'm not as young as you!" he protested. Lightning just 'hmphed' and activated her Grav-Con Device, jumping down.

_I'll find you, Serah._

_I promise, and then we'll go home._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

I huffed in annoyance, stabbing yet another PSICOM Warden. Rygdea said he'll pick me up at this place, instead I was swarmed with soldiers!

_When is this going to end? _I thought in annoyance and walked further, only to meet a certain type of Behemoth I hated.

Beta Behemoth.

I prepared a battle stance, staring at the creature. With a battle-cry, I l fired multiple arrows to its skull, and ended unsuccessful. I casted Water spells to short-circuit its now mechanical body, and ended with the same results.

My power has been weakened by the rebranding.

"Not kidding around, huh?" I hopped sideways to avoid a deadly slash, casting more magic desperately. Finally, I was able to end its life by casting a strong Watera. I knew it, my power starts out weak but increases rapidly in no time.

But I still wondered.. Who is that blonde girl?

* * *

Snow and his team NORA managed to rescue some survivors.

"Alright, anyone who wants to volunteer, stand up and come forward!" Gadot ordered and a few people stood up.

"But Mom—"

"It's alright, dear."

A silver haired woman stood up and moved forward. "Are you sure?" Snow asked worriedly and glanced at the woman's son. An orange-haired girl is comforting the boy. "Yeah. Moms are tough." The woman relied with no spark of worry in her voice as she grabbed the gun Snow handed her.

"Alright everyone! Stay safe and together! We have an army to destroy!" Lebreau said with optimism, raising her fist in the air. The woman then started firing at the fleet of soldiers.

Snow was about to punch a soldier when a missile fired at him, cracking the bridge. He squinted his eyes, seeing a Skytank about to open fire again when the woman fired a bazooka, damaging its Starboard Turret. "Are you alright?" the woman asked in concern, offering her arm. "Behind you!" Snow yelled just in time as another missile broke the bridge. The woman screamed in pain, she is severely wounded as Snow held onto her arm, the woman's body dangling beneath him.

"Get my son.. Home.. I trust you.. His name is..." The woman's body became limp on his grasp. She just... died on him. "NOOOO!" He shouted one last time before plummeting down to the dark abyss beneath.

* * *

"MOM! NOO!" Hope shouted as Vanille tried her best to comfort him. His mother just.. Died. The man was one to blame.

He seethed, angry and grieving at the same time. "Shh.. It's okay, everything's gonna be okay," Vanille pulled him to an embrace, patting his back comfortingly. Hope silently sobbed into her shoulder. "Now, are you gonna stay here and die or come with me?" Vanille asked in a cute manner. "You wanna stay? Okay. Ciao!" Vanille skipped forward, leaving him all of a sudden. No, he's not going to stay here and die!

"Hey, wait for me!" He wiped his tears away and chased the bubbly girl.

* * *

Vanille skipped around the Skyway merrily, unaware of the boy chasing her behind.

"Hey, wait for me!" His yell sounded and he catched up with her. _I did that to give you a will to live and motivation. Congrats, for understanding! _She thought happily as Hope tapped her shoulder.

A pair of Velocycles lay ahead.

"Umm.. Hope? Can you fly one of those?" She tilted her head at the boy. "Yeah, sure." He replied and took the driver seat. "Yay! Thanks Hope!" She skipped and took the passenger seat behind him. "To where?" "There!" She pointed to the fal'Cie Vestige and circled her arms around his waist. "No, no no no no." He shook his head and started the engines.

"HEY! Where are you going?!" Shouts of anger and dismay sounded, and Hope quickly sped his way to the Vestige.

"AAAAAHHH!" They both screamed as everything turned black.

* * *

Lightning scoffed; this old man's still following her. "Kid, can't you listen? I'm tired here, hello!" Sazh complained, following Lightning into the Vestige. "Close your mouth and listen to your surroundings." Lightning replied flatly and walked inside.

Something is waiting for them both.

Or for other people, too?

She never knew. So does he.

* * *

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" I shouted into my earpiece. I've been waiting here for hours on end.

"_Wait a minute! Some Cavalry soldiers will come to pick you up!" _Rygdea shouted back, annoyed with my impatience. "You said that exactly 13 minutes ago!" I complained, flailing my arms with the same measure of annoyance in my voice. "Save it later! I've got soldiers to deal with here!" "_Really?_" "Take me for my word and drop it!" I summoned my sword and attacked the soldiers, bringing them down in no time.

"_Here they come, 'Lea. Satisfied?" _Rygdea's sarcastic voice sounded as a couple of soldiers came. "Surely. Thanks." I replied and hopped on a Velocycle wordlessly.

_Is this what the future really holds? Death and destruction?_

_Etro.. You really sent me to hell._

_For what purpose?_

* * *

**A/N: Sorry guys, I don't remember much of the dialogue in Chapter One: The Hanging Edge. So I tried to brainstorm to remember every single bit of it.**

**And failing miserably.**

**Most importantly, I've got some plot bunnies of sequels for this story and a bonus story to reveal what happened before.. *clears throat* Should I tell?**

**Vanessa: No.**

**Yep, she's right. I'll start writing about the bonus story after I finished the sequel of this story. Until next time, read & review!**

**~ EternalCrystal13-2**


	6. Chapter 6: A Pendant for Who?

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I just got a three-day test at school, so I'm not updating. And, thank you for Atsirk Enoh for reviewing!**

**Anyway, starting from June 4th I'll have final exams, and it'll last for 10 days *sob*. So, after I finished my exams, I'm gonna update as much as I can till holiday's end.**

**Read & Review!**

* * *

I glanced downwards, looking at the war zone beneath me. Interceptors, Skytanks, and whatever types of PSICOM elites are warring with the civilians. Thousands of thoughts of confusion, angst, and guilt ran through my mind continuously.

_What will happen to that girl I met?_

_Why did the government act like this? Instead of saving their people they massacred them._

_What about Serah?_

_Why?_

"Miss! We're here!"

That popped my thought bubble. Sighing, I shook my head, hoping to remove the thoughts that ruined my concentration. "Don't call me 'miss'" i growled at the soldier. The soldier nodded quickly in reply, "Aye aye, captain!"

"'Ello again, Captain Corrale. I wonder what made ya staring?" "Fang. Shut up." Fang laughed and turned away from me. "Don't take it too seriously. I'm jus' joking!" the woman laughed more, before sprinting away, still laughing.

"Fang! I'll get ya!" I run after Fang, summoning my weapon and pointed it threateningly at her. "Still wanna make fun of me? And for a side note, how many times should I tell you to call me Alea?" I growled at Fang, waving around my sword. "Whatever. Let's move in, shall we?" Fang tried to muffle another set of laughter and walk inside, to the interior of the airship.

Yeah, really. Whatever.

* * *

"Serah!"

Lightning walked faster to her sister's limp body, lifting her up. Sazh looked at Serah with a cold, hard gaze. "That's a Pulse brand," he drew out one of his guns from its holster. "And they should die."

"So killing her is a mercy?" Lightning backed away, shock written across her face. "Y-You came.." Serah spoke weakly, eyes half-closed. "Serah?"

"SERAH!"

Snow jumped down from the Vestige's elevator, followed closely by Hope and Vanile. Hope has a shocked expression while Vanile covered her mouth. "Is that.. My hero?" Serah stirred slowly, trying to sit up. "I'm here, Serah. Now don't worry, let's get you outta here." Snow nodded to Serah who smiled softly and tried to take her from Lightning's arms. "Hands off! I'm taking her home." Lightning shouted fiercely to Snow, who backed away in fear of getting a punch from the soldier.

"Sis.."

"I'm not your sister." Lightning hissed, lashing out at Snow. "You couldn't protect her, it is your fault that she—!"

"Save us.."

"Serah?" Snow asked in disbelief at the girl, waiting for her to continue. "You can save us... Protect us all... Save.. Cocoon..." Serah lifted a hand to clutch at her butterfly pendant. "Save Cocoon? Serah, that is your Focus?" Lightning lowered her sister's body to the cold floor, sitting down. "I'll do anything," Snow grasped his fiancée's hand. "Just leave it to me! I'll do anything for you; I'm going to save Cocoon and everyone! You just.. Relax, okay?" Snow cracked a small grin.

"Thank.. You.." Serah then closed her eyes, motionless.

"Serah?" Lightning cried out, hands leaving her sister. Serah's brand glowed a brilliant blue and she lifted off the ground. Her hand fell limp to her sides, and an object fell down from her palm; a butterfly pendant. Crystal crept up her arms and then to her body, shards emerged from her back. A soft blue glow slid off her face and into Snow's hand, it is a crystal tear, the last of her.

"Serah. Serah! SERAH!" Snow jumped up and down, trying to take hold onto the girl. "She.. Turned to crystal," Vanille still covered her mouth as she uttered those words of disbelief. "L'Cie who fill their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life," Hope said monotonously to Vanille. "Just like the stories say..." Sazh muttered while shaking his head.

* * *

_~Lightning's POV~_

I blinked, staring at the object my sister dropped. That idiot... Snow.. He's going to pay for making my sister like this.

But this pendant.. Said something else. Could this be a sign for me to give this necklace for someone? Maybe. Whoever that person is, I'm going to give this pendant to him, or her. Whoever it is.

"Serah.. Sweet dreams," Snow's head drooped, staring at Serah's crystal. I looped the pendant on my wrist twice before approaching this.. Oaf. "Sweet dreams?!" I lashed out once again, drawing my fist back threateningly. "She's not sleeping! She's.. Serah's..." I trailed off, looking down at the floor.

"The legend! Remember the legend! 'L'Cie who complete their Focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life'! Eternal life, Lightning. She's not dead. Serah's my bride-to-be, I promised her that day to be hers forever, I don't care how many years I have to wait for her to awaken, I'll—"

Angered, I drew my fist back and punched him, knocking him down. "It's over! Open your eyes and face reality!" I snarled, unable to control my anger anymore. Snow shut his mouth, not doing anything. Perhaps he regretted it after all.

The Vestige started to shake violently, knocking some of us to the floor. "W-What's happening?" The silver-haired boy cried, covering behind the orange-haired girl. "It's the army! They're gonna destroy the whole Vestige!" Sazh replied the boy, covering his head.

When the shaking stops, Snow walked to the newly-opened door in front of us. "Trench Coat. Where're you going?" Sazh asked, oblivious to what's going to happen. "To the fal'Cie. Have a little talk with it." Snow said confidently, striding forwards.

"Are you kidding, kid? That thing's gonna chew us up and spit us out!" "Watch it!" Snow lashed, turning back to Sazh. "Sorry." He muttered a few seconds later. I walked to the door, thinking of what's going to happen if we go inside. But if this is for Serah, I'll go. No matter what.

I stared back at Serah's crystal, then the pendant on my wrist.

_Who is the person that will receive this pendant? I never knew. But I will find the person. Anywhere. Anytime._

_Whoever that is._

* * *

_~Alea's POV~_

_What am I gonna do?_

I sighed, staring at the porthole. Well, it's like staring to something that hypnotizes you for hours on end. I wonder how Serah is now?

Letting out yet another sigh for the umpteenth time, I left the porthole, clutching the butterfly pendant on my neck. I walked away from people and to my dorm on the Lindblum. Sitting down on the bed, I grabbed the case beside my bed, taking out a violin.

_This is what I do when I'm lonely._

I grasped the bow, thinking of a song. Dropping my arms on my lap, I returned it to its case before lying down and taking off my jacket. _Nothing on my mind, huh? This is unusual._ _I'm gonna catch some shut eye, and then research the cause of the Purge and who executed it. I'll find out, _I closed my eyes, trying to think of something to help me doze off. Counting sheep? Maybe.

Time to find out.

* * *

**A/N: Replies:**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: Hooked on my story? Thanks! You're the first one to review this story, congrats! And thanks for liking and following this story. Anyway, I read your bio, and you're asking how to post a story. You can find out here (remove the spaces): m . fanfiction topic/2872/2542480/1/How-to-Upload-Documents-Post- Edit-Stories**

**Anyway, that's it for today. Bye!**

**~ Crystal**


	7. Chapter 7: Hostage of Bresha - Part 1 -

"_The Purge is a program executed by the Sanctum to eliminate everyone from the seaside city of Bodhum to the lowerworld, Pulse, in contact with the fal'Cie or not, and locale or tourists. The fal'Cie Eden has confirmed the execution of this program by the current Primarch, Galenth Dysley."_

"That's it?"

Groaning, I turned off the display screen. That's it? I've been searching for hours about the Purge, yet when I found the official site of the Sanctum, this is the only info I get? Damn the Sanctum! Something's suspicious had happened here!

"Dammit," I cursed while tapping the desk in my dorm in annoyance. _Serah must be the one who caused this, and Anima. Anima was from Gran Pulse, but how in Pulse's name he can get here?!_

_Something, or someone had moved him here._

I clicked my tongue. I believed in my inner mind's words now. Something or someone moved Anima here to eliminate Bodhum. But if it's someone, who could that be? Could it be.. Dysley?

"Whatever. Still, I have to find the person or the thing that moved Anima here."

_I told you. Dysley's the one. He was the suspect._

"Shut up. I'm satisfied already with your words."

_Believe me. He's the one. Get him. Probably.. You need assistance from others._

"I SAID SHUT UP!" I snapped, banging the desk. "Stop talking in my head, stupid! Whoever you are!" I'm lucky no one heard my shout. If they do, they'll think I'm nuts. "If I continued this, I'll be insane. This whole Purge thing bugged my mind. I don't mean my inner mind, I suppose."

But others.. Lightning and the people that rebelled with her, maybe?

It might be, of course.

* * *

_~ Lightning's POV ~_

"Lightning. Real name? Ask her yourself."

I gritted my teeth at Snow. That oaf was extremely a pain the butt at times. But now, he was very annoying. If he wanted a fight, I'll gladly give him one.

I was on the verge of punching him anytime.

This boy, Hope Estheim. He was a scaredy-cat, always hiding behind Vanille. He was a coward. But I sensed so much hatred within him; it was like he would kill someone later. It seems like he held his grudge for Snow. I think.. We're alike. He had a potential. Maybe I should train him someday to be stronger and braver.

Vanille. A cheerful, bubbly girl. Something strange is within her. She was hiding something. I could sense guilt inside. Yet she concealed it by putting a smile and be cheerful at all times. She was doubtless in caring for Hope. She would always comfort him whenever he needed one.

Sazh Katzroy. He admitted to me that he followed her path to find his beloved son. He said that his son was held under custody of PSICOM and the GC. His son was turned to l'Cie by Kujata, in an incident at Euride Gorge Energy Plant a few days ago.

Snow continued to talk as we walked. _What a talkative idiot, _I thought about him marrying my sister. How in Cocoon can she marry an unemployed idiot? _That is one of the reasons I drove her out on my twenty-first birthday. I'm worried of her future. _But then I realized her true love for Snow. Maybe Serah's a bit selfish in terms of love.

"Serah!" I sharply jerked my head back, seeing Snow rushing to a figure embedded in a crystal wall. Serah.

I followed him quickly, who grabbed a metal object before thrusting it as hard as he could to Serah's crystal. "Don't worry, Serah. I'll release you just wait for a while, okay?" he asked her as if she could hear him. "Guys! Help me!" The others quickly grabbed something and worked on digging my sister out.

_A crystal statue is unbreakable._

Scoffing, I turned around and folded my arms on my chest. I stared at the looped pendant on my wrist. "Serah... I'm sorry." Those words escaped my lips and I started to walk away.

"Lightning!" Snow shouted, stopping me dead in my tracks. "Where are you going?"

I growled.

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

"Damn it!"

I shouted in frustration as my arrow missed the target. Lately, most of my shots missed, and I can keep up with this pace if I don't train all day till evening. Maybe something tugged at my mind?

I reached inside my waist bag to pull out an old and rustled paper. I opened it and smiled, the remainder of my past still here, still with me. I let out a bitter chuckle at my past memories, one that is untouched by the currents of time...

* * *

_~ Flashback ~_

_Back then in Gran Pulse, I am one of the strongest warriors in Paddra, and one of the most trusted people to write Analects through time, and eventually ended to be the Seeress' trusted Guardian and.. sister._

"_Luminous lamented, for creation spiraled unto doom."_

_I scribbled the sentence quickly on the book I held, glancing at my sister's face. I waited for her to continue as the people inside the room grew nervous._

"_Stout fashioned earth, that future might take root."_

_I smiled softly at the sentence. We worshipped the Hallowed Pulse and the Goddess of Death, not the cursed Fell Lindzei._

"_Sage turned mind's eye inward, seeking truth profound. Fool desired naught, and soon was made one with it. Maker __forged fal'Cie,__ from fragments Maker's own. Maker forged Man, from traces once Divine. In time the gods departed, leaving all by their hands wrought. Fal'Cie were as Man forsaken, orphans of Maker absconded."_

_I furrowed my eyebrows, forgetting some of the words. Everyone in the room sighed in relief, realizing that it's not a bad prophecy. She opened her eyes. "It's done," she said, smiling softly. "Number it as the first precious Analect ever written, and the year... 300 after the creation of Cocoon."_

_I wrote the year and the Analect's title. I closed the book, and left the chamber._

_~ Flashback ends ~_

* * *

I grinned, this time firing arrows accurately. I nearly laughed at my state—this time the best—ever since the very first time I explored this world. Dismissing my bow, I walked outside the training room, and closing the door behind it as I walked to my dorm while chuckling.

Luckily, no one noticed my behavior these days; giggling madly even when nothing has ever happened in the first place. I never knew what made me to do so.

_Should I research about the Purge again? _I asked myself mentally, thinking about the Purge once again. I merely shrugged at the question. _Never mind, _I thought calmly as I sat on the edge of my bed. _But still.. I'm curious. I can feel something bad is gonna happen soon. Or maybe, it's a pleasure to me.._

_Whenever it might happen, I don't know what would happen. Perhaps the event will please me, instead of worsening the condition?_

_I never knew._

* * *

Lightning growled continuously while walking their way through Lake Bresha. Vanille had noticed the soldier's constant glancing at the beautiful butterfly pendant on her wrist, but when she asked about it, Lightning merely shrugged her question away.

_Something's wrong, _Vanille thought. _Was it.. Serah? It's her, isn't it? Lightning cared deeply for Serah ever since before this happened. _But Vanille ignored the condition, and stayed near Hope in case of anytime he needed her comfort.

She discovered that Lightning loved to be away from Snow, and that it irked her so much when he called her 'sis'. Lightning would always lash out at him, or the very least, knock her fist to his head. But Snow would never quit that behavior of calling Lightning 'sis'.

Vanille walked merrily behind Hope, staying at the back of the party instead of skipping at the head of the party like usual. She knew it would make the soldier extremely annoyed at having to shout at her to stay close.

"I wonder how Snow is.." Vanille thought aloud. Lightning scoffed in disgust. "Don't ever mind about him." Lightning replied. "Um, Vanille?" Hope asked softly, to which she responded with a bright smile. "Probably you should stop worrying about _him_. You'll annoy Lightning more." He added with a slight growl in his voice as he emphasized the word 'him'.

_Probably, _Vanille thought sadly. But friends would never leave someone behind.. right?

* * *

_~ Meanwhile... ~_

Snow grunted as he slammed the metal junk onto Serah's crystal. He wiped the sweat off his fore head, before proceeding to slam it again and again.

But Serah's crystal would never shatter till the decided time.

_Just wait for a while, Serah, _he thought, eyes focusing on his fiancée's calm face. He then glanced at his brand for a moment. _And I'll get rid of this goofy tattoo._

Whirs caused him to look at the sky and he narrowed his eyes at the light the helicopter flashed to his face. _"L'Cie found!" _A voice said from above as a Gravity Bomb was tossed down to ease the soldiers' landing. A fleet came down, pointing their guns at Snow. _"Surrender immediately!" _One of them commanded. Snow raised his arms in the air as the soldiers neared to him.

He tossed the metal piece forwards that slammed painfully to the head of an unnoticing soldier. He jumped down and stepped on one, kicking and punching the others in the process.

He raised his fists, readying a battle stance.

* * *

**A/N: Done! Next chapter will be about Alea's visit to Bresha, and the process of Shiva's Eidolon battle and Snow's capturing. Anyway, sorry, these days I don't have any writing inspiration, so I rarely typed and played games instead of typing.**

**Note: If any of you readers are confused about the part after Alea's (when she exited the training room), it is after Lightning punches Snow twice (in the game) and leaving him with Serah's crystal.**

**And don't forget,**

**Read and Review!**

**~Crystal**


	8. Chapter 8: Hostage of Bresha - Part 2 -

"Target confirmed!" I announced loudly, walking briskly to the operator's room in Lindblum. "Target confirmed to be in Lake Bresha, sir! Get the soldiers to capture him, and bring him here!"

"Aye aye, captain!" The operator saluted, immediately reaching for the microphone and pressing some switches. "Attention all units," he announced, monitoring all systems in the Lindblum. "Head to Lake Bresha sector LB 169-2, near a crystal slope. For advanced units please capture target. Target confirmed, name Snow Villiers."

"Thank you." I rushed out of the operator's room and to Fang. "Ya coming?" she asked casually, grabbing her lance and strapping it to her back. "Sure do. I can't miss the _fun_." I grinned and strapped my dagger to my waist bag. "You do like torturing people, don't you?" Fang joked as we walked to the hangar and into the airship. I smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah."

* * *

Snow let out a grunt as he threw another punch to the Ranger, successfully knocking him out. The battle with the soldiers had happened too long that he felt his energy is drained so much. But he have to protect his Serah, well.. No matter what.

He fell to his knees in defeat as the soldiers neared him and Serah's crystal. It seems like it's an endless battle, with the fleets of soldiers coming down on him non-stop. _Well Serah, _he thought, glancing at the crystallized body behind him. _At least if we both died.. Well, we died together. Right.. Serah? _ He thought sadly as he supported himself with his palms on the cold ground. Something unexpected happened.

His brand glowed brightly that he has to squint his eyes at the brilliant blue light. The soldiers panicked as a big blue orb with symbols Snow can't read appeared, backing away from him while still keeping their guns on him.

"_What's that?!"_

"_Watch out!"_

"_Guards up!"_

The orb solidified before shattering into ice shards, revealing two women dancing gracefully in the air. Both stood back-to-back, stretching out their arms to the soldiers. One of them, the light-skinned one, grabbed the wheel on the back of her head and tossed it forwards, icy gusts of wind and ice shards appearing as the wheel struck the soldiers, either knocking them out or _killing_ them.

Both of them glanced at each other before turning on him, both in a ready-battle position. Snow gasped in shock at both women and readied a battle stance. Didn't these two have just helped him? Now why are they turning on him?

The light-skinned woman tossed her wheel at him, striking him on his torso. The other casted a spell on him followed by a healing one. The first spee he felt, had been draining his life out of him. Is it a 'Doom' spell? It seems to be. Snow backed off as the wheel rolled his way, before rushing forwards to punch her. Instead, his fist collided with solid metal and it hurt.

_Metal body? _He thought in confusion while rubbing his aching fist. _They're not humans, how come people have metal body? They're more like.. deities. _Something snapped inside of him. _Deities.. Right! They need to be satisfied to stop this battle!_ "I'll show you!" he shouted, keeping a Steelguard on himself. Not only protecting his body, the spell also started to take effect on the deity. "Hang on Serah!" he said, taking a quick look on his fianceé. "The hero's right here!" He shouted once again even with his energy slowly drained bit-by-bit.

Unbeknownst to himself, a small group of people are watching him from the crystal slope they're on.

* * *

"Nice show."

Fang said sarcastically as she watched Snow's fight with the Shiva Sisters. "Yeah, maybe you're right," I chuckled, settling down my sword to the ground. "Eidolons won't play nice." "Woah, that's an Eidolon?" Rygdea appeared to my side. "I only heard them from l'Cie mythologies." He continued, observing Nix from the distant.

Slightly annoyed, I hummed a response and corrected him. "_They're _Eidolons. Can't you see? They're different." I pointed at Nix and then Stiria. "Yep, I can see. Sisters are always different." He joked as we laughed. "Can't he find something to do besides using Steelguard?" Fang asked with curiosity at Snow using Steelguard constantly. "It's like a stupid thing to do, using the very same spell over and over." I merely chuckled at her comment. "Because," I said.

"It's the thing they like."

* * *

Snow had kept his shield up for approximately twenty minutes.

These two apparently are tireless, as one of them continued to play tricks on him. Well, acrobatic tricks, like backflipping or tossing her wheel at him. Luckily, one of them managed to heal him continuously.

Dodging a slash, he used his Steelguard over and over to satisfy them. Yet their heart, or even if they had any, didn't budge even an inch into stopping their assault, and healing, to him and just obey his orders.

But the light-skinned one suddenly stopped attacking and backed off.

_What in Cocoon? _He thought in confusion, lowering his guard down. Both of them merged into a motorcycle, and he jumped to try and ride on them. But they obeyed, of course. Both vanished into thin air as he fell down in defeat.

"The Twin Sisters," A woman clad in blue appeared in front of him. "I'm surprised." More of the soldiers appeared and one of them, a blue-haired girl appeared from behind them, bringing a pair of cuffs with her. She stared for a while at Serah's body, before continuing, "Get that crystal out."

Realizing what are they trying to do, he almost broke free from the soldiers gripping his arms. "No! Serah!" he struggled to break free. The blue-clad woman lowered down to his level and lifted his chin up to stare into her jade orbs.

"You want to keep breathing?" She challenged, glaring into his eyes. "Shut up, and come quiet." She said as she flicked his chin. The previous blue-haired girl moved behind him and bound his wrists. "Get him up and inside the airship." She commanded and left to kneel beside Serah's crystal. He noticed that her eyes grew moist.

"Serah.. I'm sorry." She said and stood up as the soldiers yanked at him roughly to get him up on his feet. He took a quick glance to the girl's neck and spotted a similar pendant wore by Serah. "Serah! Serah, no!" He roared and yanked at the soldiers. "Shut up."

A blur of movement and then he blacked out.

* * *

He woke up in a strange room where everything is white, safe for the two persons talking in the corner of the room. He realized that both of them are the previous people capturing him.

"Ya don't have to be rude to 'im, 'Lea."

"I have to; I'm the one that ordered the operator to capture him."

One of them chuckled.

"So you're the one that commanded that operator?"

"I told you earlier. Yes I am."

"He's awake."

One of them approached him and sat on the chair beside his bed. "Don't be so stupid," She said, offering a gloved hand to him. "You don't even know what Eidolons are. Anyway, I'm Alea. You must be Snow." Alea said with a small smile. He grinned in reply. "Care to explain to me what 'Eidolons' are?" her smile dropped as she ran a hand through her hair. "It's.. complicated," she started. "If l'Cie are in desperation in completing their Focus, those beings appeared to finish everything. In other words, take your life away to end your misery."

"So they wanted to kill me?" He asked with shock written across his face. "In your case, no. They appeared to give you motivation, and the will to live. You gave up trying to dig Serah, right? That's why they killed all of those PSICOM, and turned against you to give you a new battle spirit, or so I say."

"You know Serah?" "Sure do. We met a few days ago before the Purge, and she's the only one to know my birthday." She pointed to her butterfly pendant. "She's the one who gave this to me."

An awkward silence passed between the two as something clicked in Snow's memory. "Your pendant, it's the same as the one sis had ever since Serah crystallized." "Sis? You had a sister?" "Well no, but soon enough as soon as I married Serah."

"Sister-in-law-to-be, huh?" The raven haired woman said from far away. "So you're this Serah's fiancé, huh?" he grinned. "Yeah."

Alea's eyes hardened. "I'll get you to Raines. And we'll continue this talk," she said, binding Snow's wrist again. "Later." She yanked roughly at him. "Get up." the raven-haired woman spoke the second time this day. He cursed under his breath as everything went rough again.

* * *

The three walked along the corridor accompanied by some soldiers. "You must be Snow," A man around his twenties wearing robes walked their way.

"I'm Cid Raines, brigadier general of the fleet." Cid said, offering a hand. Snow merely shrugged the request off. "This is Fang," he said. "She joined this regiment to find her lost friend, Vanille. And this is Alea," he motioned to the girl standing a few feet away. "She wanted to return to her hometown. But she don't know where it is."Alea's eyes softened at Cid's words. "The fal'Cie wished to meet with the Maker again, their lost deity." He began, facing away from Snow. "So they needed mass death, in order to open wide the Gate and return them here, and be reunited once again."

"No!" Snow protested, trying to break free. Fang placed her forearm under his neck, shaking her head slowly. "That is why they executed the Purge and kill all the Purgees to accomplish said 'mass deaths'."

"You monster!" Snow broke free from the soldiers' grasp, lashing out at Cid. Fang was forced to kick his gut to prevent him from hurting Cid. "Take 'im away, boys." The soldiers dragged him away and left, leaving the three and Rygdea in the empty room.

"I never saw it coming," Rygdea said with a shake of his head. "That guy's too brutal." Alea got up and walked briskly to the door. "I'll be back." She said simply and left, with Fang following her shortly.

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

_I knew it from the very beginning of all this, _I thought, walking down the corridor. _The Cocoon fal'Cie executed all this, not just Fang and Vanille blowing something in Euride. What wretched beings._

I quickly noticed a soldier and ran to him. "Where did you take Snow to?" I asked, pointing a finger to him. _"He's in the infirmary. One of us knocked him out to save troubles." _ "Thanks." I walked down to the infirmary. "My turn to ask," I turned around to face Fang. "Why'd you hit him?" "Easy," Fang replied, stopping in her tracks. "I don't want him to get Cid, that's all."

Humming, I opened the door to the infirmary, spotting an unconscious Snow on one of the beds. I grinned simply, sitting on the corner of the empty white room.

"I have something in store for him.." I chuckled as I sent a healing spell his way. "He'll be useful for us." "Ya wanna use 'im as a tool?" Fang asked in disbelief. "Sure. He'll be nice as a guard. That's it."

"Hm.." Fang hesitated for a while, thinking of my idea to use Snow. I can see her determination in her eyes. Using Snow as a tool to get Fang to Vanille, and probably the others.. We can try, right?

Fang chuckled. "Sure do. He'll be nice to help me get to Vanille," her eyes turned sad. "And Gran Pulse. Oh, how I missed my home in Oerba." She sighed, leaning against the wall. "And probably other people too.." I added, lifting up my dagger. I stared at its shiny surface. Gran Pulse? I craved to see it again after this.. Trip.

_I'll give up anything to see home again, _I said inwardly, gazing at the sky from the porthole in the infirmary. I took a quick glance at Snow. _And to find out the purpose of the fal'Cie.._

_I must, they made all this happen. This time not Fang and Vanille that caused this._

_Not them, but the fal'Cie._

* * *

**A/N: I've got some memorizing problems this time; about the dialogue between Snow, Fang and Raines in the Lindblum (you know the first case, about the Hanging Edge's dialogues).**

**Congrats for my friend for knowing (and succeeding) how to sign up to FF net (You fixed the problem, huh?). Uh.. And for some notes, I can't find you in the site. PM me if you saw this.**

**About this chap, I never knew if there's any infirmary in the Lindblum (but I guess there should be one). And for the sector code (LB 440-2), the 'LB' stands for 'Lake Bresha', and the number '169-2', did any of you remember about Snow's location name while battling Shiva? It's 'A Silent Maelstrom'. Each number in '169' stands for the letters in each word (A=1, Silent=6, Maelstrom=9) and '2' is the number of our main characters in the location (Serah counts).**

**Anyway, if you've got some questions, just ask it and I'll reply ASAP, and correct me in your reviews if I've got some mistakes or typos.**

**That's it for today, guys.**

**~Crystal**


	9. Chapter 9: Palumpolum and Serpents?

Lightning sneaked through the alleyway, Hope following closely. She ducked behind a pile of containers and grabbed her gunblade, ready for any assault. "What are we gonna do?" Hope asked, his boomerang out. "Get somewhere safe," Lightning replied casually, looking at the pendant on her wrist. "And find the owner of this necklace."

"Yeah, I guess we use the usual strategy, 'charge in, guns blazing'." He said. "Hmph," Lightning hummed her response. "I guess."

"_Hey, you!" _A soldier shouted from far away. _"It's the l'Cie! Capture them!" _More soldiers neared their way, guns ready to shoot anytime. "You ready for a fight?" Lightning asked, standing back-to-back with Hope. "Sure." He replied and readied a Thundara spell on his hand.

He casted the spell away, electrocuting the soldiers as Lightning fired bullets followed by series of Thunder spells. They managed to knock all the soldiers assaulting them, and ended victorious. A blaring alarm sounded across the area as both looked at a notification panel nearby. "The soldiers have set an alarm. Something has happened in sector PA 310-5." Lightning said as they hid behind a crate. "We can get through the underground passage. I used to play there as a kid." Hope added as both headed to the underground tunnels.

* * *

"You both get down. I'll back you up here." I said to both Fang and Snow. Snow nodded and tossed his crystal in the air. "Shiva!" he yelled as the being came into view and both drove down the alcove. I grinned. "Time for the battle." I aimed my bow and drew the string taut. I saw Fang disarming a soldier and grabbed his gun, and fired bullets to the fleets.

I fired multiple arrows to the soldiers down there. Most of them shouted at each other, probably accusing each other in configuring the sniper. Unfortunately, I ducked a second too late, and one of them noticed me and fired their bullets at me. "Damn," I cursed. "Time to make a move!" I jumped down from the alcove and killed any soldiers hindering my path.

I kicked one of them in the head, stabbing another's heart, and so on. Fang noticed this and tossed away her gun and joined me in the fight. "Wow, never knew ya mastered martial arts, girl!" She said and jabbed her lance at the soldiers. "I've done it since.. A few years ago." I lied and continued firing. By time we defeated all the soldiers, Lightning and the silver-haired boy came running to us.

"Hey there, Hope," Snow said with that usual boyish and confident grin. Hope merely glared at Snow. "Nice to meet you again." He replied coldly, tone slightly tainted with hatred. I raised an eyebrow at his odd manners. "You are?" He turned around to face me. "Alea. Nice to meet you Hope." I smiled and offered him a hand. I glanced at the looped pendant on her wrist. Isn't that Serah's pendant?

I noticed her looking at the pendant on my neck. "You're the one," Lightning said silently, casting her eyes to the ground. "Huh?" I and Fang said in unison. "W-What do you mean?" "'Lea's the one?" Lightning removed the pendant from her wrist. "Serah dropped this pendant after crystallizing. I suppose she wanted me to give it to you." She offered the pendant to me and I grabbed it. "Thanks, Lightning." "Call me Light."

A troop of soldiers surrounded us once again. "Protect him." Light shoved Hope to Snow who summoned Shiva again. I and Fang ran after Lightning, separating away from the two as our path rounded off, Snow and Hope leaving my vision.

_Keep safe, guys._

* * *

We all ended in the Western Promenade part of Palumpolum. Somehow we managed to dodge our way and stopped to rest in the narrow alley.

"We came from Gran Pulse," Fang began. "The 'lowerworld' you all hated so much. We both had lost our memories after waking up in the Vestige, the one that fell on Lake Bresha. We are responsible for that young kid to be branded, and we're the ones that set off an explosion at Euride." Lightning listened closely. Fang inhaled a deep breath. "We're also responsible for Serah turning into a l'Cie. That's it."

Lightning neared to Fang and slapped her, hard. She slapped her really hard that the birds nearby flew away. "That's it?" Fang rubbed her cheek. "You better hope so." Lightning replied and faced away. Fang stretched her arms and yawned. "Whoa. That's a load off." "So you feel better after apologizing?" "Think so. What about you? Feel any better now that you hit me?" Fang challenged, placing her hands on her hip. Lightning scoffed.

"Alright guys, that's it! Enough with the bickering!" I flailed my arms, trying to change the topic desperately, hoping that both won't start a fight and attract soldiers here. Lightning fell even more silent, but Fang laughed out loud at my comment. "I see," Fang managed to say between fits of laughter. "Anyway, you can see how brands are progressing." She said randomly. "As time went on, more and more arrows sprout, then finally an eye. When the eye fully opens, you're done."

Lightning turned away from us. "Let's take a look, shall we?" Fang said as she turned Lightning around and unzipped her turtleneck. "Aw, don't be shy." Fang joked and I can see the slight blush on Lightning's face. I chuckled, noticing a bit of her brand. "Nowhere near. Let's get going, shall we?"

"Fine," Lightning replied, still blushing.

* * *

Both Snow and Hope managed to escape a soldier's view and rushed to a crowded area. A silver-haired girl sat on the ground crying near them, hugging a Carbuncle doll close to her. "H-Hey?" Hope asked, nearing the girl. "Are you ok—"the girl gasped and backed away from them. "Mommy!" The girl cried and tossed her doll at him, knocking him down. The girl ran to a figure, her mother. The middle-aged woman hugged her daughter, and glared hatefully at them.

"It's the l'Cie!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger accusingly at Snow and Hope. More people appeared behind the woman, carrying torches. The mob then approached them slowly, ready to get them. Hope backed away in fear, stopping in front of Snow. Snow readied a Blizzara spell and casted it at a metal bar, snapping it as the mob stopped in their tracks. Then a pile of debris fell down, blocking the mob's path.

"We can't get them easily!"

"They're too strong!"

"What should we do?"

All of them panicked and backed away from the pile of rubbles. Hope grabbed the Carbuncle doll and settled it atop the rubble. He let out an apologetic sigh and gazed to the girl's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

We arrived in a desolate place, empty without any signs of soldiers or people. I sat on a fallen pillar, grabbing Serah's pendant from my waist bag. Fang followed me to sit on the opposite side. The only person who doesn't follow us is Lightning.

"Light, where you going?" I dared to ask her, though not knowing what her response might be. "We can't stop," she said coldly. "Unless you want to be captured by PSICOM." "'Ey, 'ey. Lighten up a bit, we're tired with walking here." Fang defended my question, standing up.

"I can defend myself, you know." I growled in annoyance. "I don't need anyone's help. You're not the only one that had the privilege to order everyone around. I can too," Snarling, I summoned my bow. "So you got all the authority?" Lightning replied, annoyance evident in her cold, harsh tone. "Sure, but partially. You're not a _deity,_ so I can order you around all day as I please. Even Hope can, too. We're all even, that's it." I answered sharply.

"Fine."

"You keep saying that and I'll kill you," I threatened her. "Serah said that you often lied with that single word." "Don't you dare to get near my sister _again!_" Lightning shouted, this time walking to me. "Too late, Light. She trusted me, and will never betray me."

Lightning was taken aback with my words. "I would never trust you.." She said, drawing her gunblade. "Say what?" I challenged and neared her. She glared into my eyes. "You are right," I said sarcastically. "_No one has ever trusted me._ Never, since the very first time I knew all of you! You never bought my words, they're true to the very end of all this!" I shouted in anger, pointing my sword at her. A blaring pain ran down my neck. "Trust me Lightning. _It's over!_"

Silvery blue runes swirled around my foot and rings of magical water rose from it. A dome of water surrounded us, blocking escape. A shadowy figure of a dragon raised and solidified, morphing in a burst of light to form the body of an armored warrior.

I grinned. "Hello Leviathan."

* * *

_~ Lightning's POV ~_

We all stopped in a desolate area, with no signs of those of PSICOM and GC. There are no civilians here, either. That means good.. And we have to move fast to avoid being captured.

I'm surprised to see Alea keeping herself silent ever since Fang talked to me about her past, and after I slapped her. She's right, though. Hitting someone really does satisfy me. Especially when that someone is Snow. Ignoring my thoughts, I stopped for a while and turned my head to see both Fang and Alea sitting opposite each other on pieces of debris.

It seems like both of them had started to turn out annoying.

Scoffing, I walked forwards, ignoring them. "Light, where you going?" My annoyance was confirmed when a voice asked that simple question. But questions are always simple.

"We can't stop," I replied her gentle question coldly. "Unless you want to be captured by PSICOM." I can see Fang standing up from the corner of my eye. "'Ey, 'ey. Lighten up a bit, we're tired with walking here." I know that she was defending Alea's previous question. "I can defend myself, you know," Alea said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I don't need anyone's help. You're not the only one that had the privilege to order everyone around. I can too," she snarled, summoning her weapon. _Are you about to start some kind of argument, even a fight? _I thought angrily and turned around to face her. _Then I'll gladly give it to you. I'll show you, _I growled. "So you have all the authority?"

Her jewel orbs flared, anger showing. "Sure, but partially. You're not a _deity_, so I can order you around all day as I please. Even Hope can, too. We're all even, that's it." She replied and emphasized the word deity. I tried to contain the urge to slap her.

"Fine." That mere single word is enough to remind me of that day with Serah.

"You keep saying that and I'll kill you," she threatened. "Serah said that you often lied with that single word." I widened my eyes in shock. "Don't you dare get near my sister _again!_" I shouted in anger and walked towards her. We were so close that our faces almost touched.

"Too late, Light. She trusted me, and will never betray me." I was taken aback with those words. I backed off. "I will never trust you.." I hissed, turning away. "Say what?" she challenged, this time it was her who walked to me. I replied it with a glare.

"You are right," she hissed with sarcasm. "_No one has ever trusted me._ Never, since the very first time I knew all of you! You never bought my words, they're true to the very end of all this!" she pointed her sword at me. I can see that she's hissing in pain, and her brand glowed a brilliant blue.

"Trust me Lightning. _It's over!_"

Silvery blue runes twisted and tiers of water danced in the air. A dome separated her from I and Fang, enclosing itself. A shadowy figure of a serpent rose, and morphed in a magical explosion into an armored warrior.

"Lightning!" Fang hollered, banging her lance onto the dome. I tried to touch it, instead I was blown back, clothing soaked. "Don't touch it, stupid!" Fang said once again and helped me back on foot. "This is not ordinary water, only destined people can take a grip on something made of this and break through it! This is magic water!"

"Then why didn't she get out from this?!" I shouted back and fired bullets at the dome. "It's her Eidolon, Lightning! She can't escape this! Stop it, Lightning, it's useless!"

I can see Alea's lips curling into a grin and said something, but I can't make up the words. I backed away and used a spell to dry my clothing.

_Be safe... and I'm sorry for my earlier behavior._

* * *

**A/N: For some notes, don't flame me. The real Leviathan in the game is a biological creature, but mine, it's half mecha- half bio Eidolon. So don't take it wrong.**

**As for my friend CC, you knew my drawing.. right? My drawing of Leviathan?**

**I kinda drew it outta nowhere and stared blankly after I snapped into reality (or so I thought), and blinked at it.**

**As for the definition of the sector mentioned in the very start, PA is Palumpolum, 3 is The, 10 is Metrostile, and 5 is the amount of characters in The Metrostile (Don't forget Alea). And for the next chap, it's about Leviathan's Eidolon battle (mostly). So wait up, I'm gonna post it shortly after this one.**

**Ahem. That's it.**

**~Crystal**


	10. Chapter 10: Sustained by Hate

_~ Alea's POV ~_

Unbelievable! I almost cried in joy seeing him, Leviathan again after separated! But he seems to have a new decision, as if he never recognized me in the first place.

Dodging a swing, I jumped as one of his daggers swung and tried to cut off my foot. I casted more magic as he prepared his own magic. With a battle-cry, I casted the spell to his head and it collided with his Waterga. Seeing a chance, I jumped and landed a slash to his legs.

But he didn't budge an inch.

He roared as my spell dissipated, leaping to get me in the head. I jumped sideways, and his dagger struck the dome instead. He swiped his claws, slapping me hard that I was sent flying to the dome and crashed to it. A bruise formed on my shoulder, and blood trickled down the gash on my arm.

Leviathan's vicious white eyes locked onto mine, glinting dangerously. He readied a Cyclone move, nearing to me. _If this is my end, _I laughed bitterly. _Then I'll accept it gladly. Besides... Nice to dance with you again, serpent._

_One last dance of death._

"'Lea!"

That shout snapped me out of my thoughts, seeing Fang banging her lance repeatedly to the dome. W-Wait, this is magical water, right? Only Water Mages can break through! Maybe if I came into contact with her, I can drag Fang and Light inside to help me!

"Don't give up," Lightning's voice sounded from the other side. She fired a round of bullets to the dome. "Wake up and fight!" she yelled and slashed her gunblade to the dome. "Lightning! Come here!" I called out and reached to touch the dome, Leviathan soon forgotten. My hand slipped through it, and I tried to grab Fang's hand.

Alas, I cannot.

Leviathan casted his Cyclone at me and it hurled my body so high, so high that I crashed to the top of the dome. I rolled forwards upon contact with the ground and dismissed my weapon. Lightning and Fang stood side-by-side, awaiting my command. I reached for the dome in time for Leviathan to sprout his wings. I grabbed their hands and dragged them inside the dome unharmed.

"Nice move!" Fang said, grinning. "We thought we can't break through!"

"Thanks. But now's no time to talk!" I summoned my weapon and fired arrows to Leviathan's head. He roared and flapped his wings, creating huge gusts of wind inside the dome. We all shielded ourselves as Leviathan tossed pieces of debris at us.

Fang casted a few pairs of Curse and Slow spell, slowing him down a bit. Lightning dashed forwards and fired a round of bullets and series of Thundara spells at his head, successfully electrocuting Leviathan. _My time to move! _I thought quickly and leaped as high as I could. With a battle-cry, I plunged my sword straight to his head. But he's still too fast for me.

I stopped in mid-air and backflipped to avoid a slap from his wings. Landing on the ground, Lightning and Fang rushed to my side. "He's too fast," I panted, casting a Cure spell to my arm. "Keep trying," Lightning said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Fang, you get his attention. I'll find his weakness and you attack. Keep trying until he gives up." Leviathan roared.

"Split now!" I commanded and we went our separate ways.

* * *

_~ Lightning's POV ~_

We went our separate ways and I chose to go to the far left of the dome, skidding to a halt to prevent collision with it.

Fang swung her lance around and is chased down by Leviathan. I can't summon Odin right now; I don't have the energy to sustain him on the battlefield. I rushed behind Leviathan, inspecting every single detail on his back. Then it struck me.

"Alea!" I called out to the girl, waving my gunblade. "Latch on his back! There's something I need to tell you!" The girl nodded and gathered momentum before leaping to Leviathan's back. "What is it?" she asked, hoping to end this fight quickly. A trail of blood is seen running down from the corner of her lips. "A crystal!" I shouted, stopping in my tracks. Leviathan roared and tried to shake his ex-master off.

Alea nodded while ignoring all the shaking, jumping higher on his back. Her eyes scanned the serpent's back, and spotted a black crystal embedded on his back. She turned around to face me. "Thanks, Light! It seems that I forgot where his weakness point is!" She lifted her sword high in the air.

"STOP THIS INSTANT!" she yelled and plunged the blade straight to the crystal. Leviathan roared, and stopped flapping his wings. Instead, he kneeled down and placed his master on the ground. Leviathan rose, his body covered in a bright light, and transformed into his usual serpent form.

Three horns protruded from his head, one much longer than the other. Three strings decorated with golden decorations dangled from the side of his head. I noticed that they are the same ones that dangled from Odin's head. His long, metallic body is decorated with studded golden bands, and the similar bands are found on his wings, tail and fins. Spikes are spread in certain points on his body, and smaller, black thorns are found on his back.

The serpent growled lowly, settling down before fading into a black butterfly-shaped crystal that Alea caught. "He's different," she said, embedding the crystal on a hollow space on her blade. "Whaddya mean, 'he's different'?" Fang said from the distance while strapping her lance on her back. "First time I saw him, he doesn't have all those golden knick-knacks." Alea replied with slight humor on her voice.

I holstered my gunblade back and turned away. I sighed.

"I-I'm sorry."

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

"I-I'm sorry."

_Huh? _I thought in confusion at those words. _I thought you just argued with me before this battle? _I can't believe that Lightning is _apologizing _to me. I guess Serah'll be proud if she saw Lightning like this. Guilty.

"No, it's okay actually." I said softly. "No, it's not okay," Lightning said. "I'm the one that acted too rude to you. You were telling the truth. Thanks for reminding me, though." I laughed out loud. "What's so funny anyway?" Lightning asked again. "Finally," I said, wiping the 'tears' away from my eyes. "Someone has trusted me."

Lightning stopped and stared at my face. "You... Cried blood," she said in shock. "That's normal. I dunno what accident caused this, though." I replied casually, frowning at the crimson marks on my finger that I used to wipe the blood away.

An explosion sounded in the distance, causing us to look at it.

"Let's go," Lightning said and we rushed to the source.

Snow grunted and tried to push himself up. The explosion triggered both of them to fall from the peak of Rivera Towers. He hissed in pain and turned his head to face Hope. The boy was unconscious, and his survival knife was dropped beside him.

"Hope," he said, shaking the boy. Hope did not awaken. Deciding what to do, he stood up and carefully lifted the boy, carrying him on his back and pocketed the knife. What is his fault? What made the boy to hold so much grudge?

He groaned and limped his way to somewhere safe.

* * *

"What path should we take?" I inspected the map of Palumpolum, motioning to Lightning. "The explosion's in somewhere high," she hesitated and inspected the map. "So it must be... Rivera Towers sector PA 660-5." "It's not my matter, guys," Fang said, shrugging. "I'm not from around here."

"PA 660-5..." I said softly, frowning at the map. _Somewhere high? Yes, it must be the Towers. I hope Snow and Hope are okay. _I thought.

"Let's go there." I announced and we rushed to the flight of stairs heading for the tower of Palumpolum.

* * *

"S-Snow?" Hope said weakly, conscious from his trance. "I'm sorry, Hope." Snow replied all of a sudden. "I'm responsible for your mother's death."

Hope widened his eyes in shock. "No..." He said weakly. "It's not your fault. It's the military." He growled. "The Sanctum is responsible." "Glad you said that, kiddo." Snow grinned weakly. "Here's your knife." He reached into his coat pocket and grabbed Hope's survival knife.

He grabbed the knife and pocketed it in time as Snow collapsed, coughing. "I can't carry you anymore. I'm tired." Snow said, fainting from exhaustion. "Snow?" Hope asked worriedly. "Snow, wake up!"

The similar robot they faced appeared again in front of him. "No," He said in fear. "No, no no no no!" But the blow planned by the Subjugator never landed on him. A round of bullets knocked the mecha a few steps back.

"Hope!" Lightning called out to him, kneeling by his side. "I'm okay!" He replied and stood up, grabbing his boomerang. "Glad we came on time," A new voice said. It's the previous raven-haired woman he never knew who she is, and Alea appeared by her side. "Alea," Lightning said, turning around to face the girl. "Heal him." She motioned to the unconscious Snow.

He could see the girl cursing and she rushed by Snow's side, casting some healing spells at his broken ribs. "We fight. No giving up now," The raven-haired woman added and readied her weapon, a menacing-looking lance.

He turned around to face the Ushumgal Subjugator.

It's time to decide their fate... For now.

* * *

I cursed and headed to Snow. I inspected his expression, pained but somehow calm. I casted a couple of Cura spells at his broken ribs, but nothing happened. Cursing again, I tried to drag his body to rest on a wall. "Damn it Snow, you're heavy!" I turned around to see a strange aura enveloping Fang's body, glowing around her.

I rested his body against a wall to keep him propped up. I casted more spells, which are seemed too weak for me. _Will you at least let me fight? _I thought, irritated by Lightning's command to heal Snow. "Lightning!" I called out to her. "I can't heal him! And will you at least let me fight?" I shouted, waving around my sword. "Fine!" Lightning replied. "Summon Leviathan!"

Grinning, I faced the Eidolith embedded on my sword. "Leviathan!" I shouted as the crystal is enveloped by a red glow. "Rise!"

The crystal shined brighter than I knew it was before, and it vanished from the sword and reappeared in the sky, bursting in a thousand of crystal shards. Leviathan appeared before me in his Gestalt Form. "Help them!" I commanded the serpent. Roaring, he sprouted his wings and casted Leviathan's Favor to Lightning, Fang and Hope. "Thanks!" Hope said, casting magic at the machine. Leviathan slapped the thing's head with his tail as it staggered backwards.

Focusing back on the healing duty, I casted stronger spells at his injuries. I'm shocked to see that there's no magic formed at all. Thinking for a while, I grabbed a Potion and downed the horrid liquid, tossing the bottle away and focused on casting stronger spells.

Meanwhile, Leviathan snapped his jaws at the annoying Subjugator, letting out an ear-piercing shriek as the machine shot him with its Laser Rain. He roared, diving in to rip off the machine's 'tail'. A whir came out of the thing as a result, and Leviathan casted his water magic, short circuiting it.

The machine stopped, and it fell limp to the ground. Leviathan then dismissed himself, returning to my sword's hilt as a crystal. Hope sighed in relief and pocketed his boomerang back. "I can't heal him," I protested, groaning as I stretched my arms. "but I've done some work here, at least." "We can get him to my house." Hope suggested, pointing at the Felix Heights.

* * *

"Lightning nodded, and Fang helped her to haul Snow to his feet. I looked once again at the wrecked remains of the Subjugator, before following the three.

We managed to arrive to Hope's residence quickly. The faster we got here the bigger Snow's chance to wake up from his trance.

"Go on, Hope." Lightning encouraged the boy. "He's your father." Hope sighed, and braced himself to ring the doorbell. He pressed the doorbell and footsteps sounded from inside. Whoever is inside, he or she is worried for Hope's safety.

A middle-aged man opened the door, widening his eyes at Hope. "Hope!" the man exclaimed.

I sighed in relief.

* * *

**A/N: This will be my last update for this story (for now), guys. I'm having final exams start from June 4****th**** till June 14****th****. I'm not gonna write updates in the time period *sigh*. But maybe I'm gonna update as soon as exam's over and in my holiday.**

**PS: I'm gonna write a new story in place of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 TRUTH OR DARE that I deleted by myself (Sorry for the readers), it'll be about April's Fools day *Mischievous grin*.**

**See you next time!**

**~ Crystal**


	11. Chapter 11: The Estheim Residence

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys. I tried to post this chap at last Saturday, but my quota ran out and I almost threw my modem at the wall. It's annoying, yeah, but at least I've already gotten some and I can post something.**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: I haven't made the plot for it, but maybe she will if it's too much. And thanks for the compliment!**

**And just for your info, I've got some evil plans for later chaps *heartless grin*, eheheheh. But no excessive gores, nothing like that. Because I'm a sadist, I like torturing people, especially Lightning. Maybe you should see it in later... uh, maybe chaps that happened in Gran Pulse?**

* * *

Your father, Hope?" I asked the boy who sat down on one of his couches. "Yeah. I'm glad that he still cares for me." Hope replied with a tired smile. I frowned.

"Why, what happened?" I asked out of curiosity. "He's kinda... Apart from me. He never said a single thing to me; he's been like that since I started growing up in my teenage years. But Mom still cared for me, and took me to Bodhum, that's before she—" _Before dying in the Purge. _I finished mentally.

"H-Hey Hope?" I said, yawning. He tilted his head slightly. "Can me... You know, doze off for a while? I'm kinda sleepy." Hope nodded. "Sure, there's a guest bedroom upstairs and to the right." "Thanks." I yawned again and went upstairs.

The bedroom was quite nice actually; it's got two beds and a desk. I took off my jacket and boots, before collapsing on the bed. Hugging my jacket close, I tried to sleep quickly. Maker, I can't hold it again.

After about ten minutes of tossing and turning on the bed, I can finally sleep peacefully. Little did I know, someone opened the door to the room I'm sleeping in.

* * *

Lightning sighed, sitting down on a chair. Hope has met his father, and she's glad that his father accepted the death of his wife, though still sad. They made up and Bartholomew promised to be a better father, in order to keep Nora proud.

As for Alea, she collapsed on one of the guest room's beds as soon as Hope let her do so. She must be tired from all the fighting and healing.

There she laid, all sprawled out and without her jacket. She was quite lean, and she can see small scars along her back. But something caught her eye this time.

A strange symbol is imprinted on her left shoulder blade, its dark blue color contrasting against Alea's pale skin. There are thirteen circles along the lower curls of the symbol, and it branched upwards to form three more curls and a larger circle, its outline thicker than the other thirteen. "What in Cocoon?" Lightning said unconsciously, inspecting the symbol more closely. She has never seen such mark in her entire life, not even in the mythology books.

If that's a secret, she would make the girl pay dearly from keeping something away all this time.

Somehow it's like that Alea isn't an ordinary girl.

* * *

I awoke from a strange dream. Voices sounded in my head, and a pang of pain came across my head. No, this isn't the right time to get headaches.

"_You remembered something," _said the voice of Leviathan in my mind. _"Your memories came to life again. Isn't that right, dear master?" _I frowned at his words and shushed him. "Shut up, now's not the right time for—"

"Alea."

Turning around, I met Lightning face-to-face. "What are you hiding from me?" Lightning questioned with a hint of curiosity in her voice. _"Tell her, master. Tell the truth," _Leviathan forced from inside. _Shh! _I shushed him mentally. _Now's not a time for a heart-to-heart with you. Can you please be quiet for a while? I'm trying to remember here! _I scolded, frowning.

I huffed. "Okay." I said. "Okay, okay, fine. I—"I paused, unsure whether to continue or not. "I lied." I admitted. Lightning cocked an eyebrow. "What about that mark on your left shoulder blade?" Lightning motioned to my left shoulder blade. "I never knew." I said, looking away from her aqua eyes. "I had it since I was born, and no one can say what mark is it."

Lightning backed away in shock. _"Good try, master. But I must say that is a bad way to start your confession." _Leviathan's voice interrupted from within my mind. Growling, I banged the nearby desk. "I said shut up!" I shouted angrily. "Who are you talking to?" Lightning asked again, calming down a bit. "No one." I replied casually."I will tell you the real thing, I swear it for Etro's sake but I needed everyone to listen. That means we have to get Vanille and that old man you're complaining about first. Okay?"

"Fine." Lightning sighed. Someone knocked the door from outside. "Hey, can I come in?" It sounded like Hope's voice. "Yeah," Lightning said. Hope opened the door. "Dad wants to meet you guys. See us in the living room, and get Snow too." Then he left.

Sighing softly, I put my jacket and boots back on and left the room, Lightning following closely behind.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" Snow crouched on the floor in front of Bartholomew. "I can't keep Nora safe, it's my fault she's dead!" Bartholomew rubbed his temples. "Snow," He said, putting his glasses back on. "What did she say before she died?"

"She said to get Hope home safely." Snow replied. Bartholomew smiled sadly. "And that's what you've done. You got Hope home safely. I'm sure that Nora will be proud." Hope just smiled sheepishly. " Farron," Bartholomew added. "Thank you. And to you, Alea." I just grinned. "Dad," Hope said. "We can't stay here any longer. If PSICOM knew you're harboring l'Cie, you'll be captured. We have to leave this instant!" "No!" Bartholomew rejected. "You're my son! This is your home!" he said in distraught. He feared that he'll lose his son like what happened to his wife.

"Sir, Hope is right! We have to make a quick move, or else everyone'll be captured!" I yelled, pulling Fang to her feet. Fang groaned lazily, and I slapped her on her arm. "Let's move!" Lightning ordered.

_Bzzt. Bzzt._

Suddenly all the lights went out. The windows shattered as a tear gas bomb flew right through it. I summoned my weapon and crouched as PSICOM personnel swung inside the house. "Great," I cursed under my breath. "Hope, tie up your dad. We've got emergency." Lightning whispered, unsheathing her gunblade. Hope quickly obeyed and grabbed a tough rope, and tied his father's wrist behind his back. "Sorry, dad. But I have to do this. I promise I'll come back safe." Hope whispered. "Your son is a strong boy," Lightning encouraged. "He'll be safe."

Bartholomew just sighed. " Alright. Keep safe, son." He said softly. I got up and fired arrows at the soldiers' head and killed them easily. Noisy shouts came from outside, and I realized that those are PSICOM elites. Snow got up and went to the front door. "Alright hero, where ya going?" Fang asked the said 'hero'. "Payback time." Snow replied, and with that, he went outside.

I peeked through the window and saw the soldiers aim their gun at Snow. I can see that he's saying something, but I couldn't make up the words. One of the elites, a silver-haired man, accused Snow of being inhuman, and the other l'Cies, which means us.

After Snow finished talking, a soldier tossed a tear gas bomb at Snow, causing him to cough continuously. We all rushed outside and spotted a Skytank, readying its cannons. "Our turn, hero." Lightning said, tapping Snow's shoulder. "W-What? I've still got some a—"He continued to cough. "Rest up; you're not ready to fight this time." I said and rushed to the others.

* * *

This battleship, the Havoc Skytank. It is tough, I should admit. Casting a Watera followed by an Aerora, I leaped sideways to avoid the missiles. The others also had trouble in bringing down the parts, with Lightning continuously firing bullets, Fang casting Ruin spells and Hope healing all of us.

Lightning grunted as a missile almost hit her in the head. Fang groaned and provoked the thing, keeping a Mediguard for herself. I can see that Hope's face started to go pale due to casting most of the spells. I grabbed a Potion from my waist bag and called out to Hope. "Hope! Catch!" I tossed the vial and he caught it, pausing a while to uncap it and then downing the bitter thing quickly. "Thanks!" He said, casting a Fira and a Thundara at the Skytank.

"It's not working!" Fang complained from away, forming a Curse spell on her hand and casted it away. "This thing's too tough!" I groaned. _"Do not attack the main body first, master. Strike its compartments first." _Said the guiding voice of Leviathan from my mind. _Thanks Lev, it'll be a hint for us. _I thought and grinned. "Guys! Don't attack the main body first! Take out the hulls and turrets first!" I yelled at the others. They quickly obeyed my orders and started to focus on the Starboard Hull.

One, two, _three _parts of the tank blew off. I sang a mental victory song, firing magic-laced arrows at the final part. "Combine!" I shouted, and all of us readied a spell. Lightning a Thundara, Hope a Fira, Fang a Slowga and me a Watera. We all casted the spell at the same time as the Starboard Turret blew off.

_Now for the real thing..._

We all focused at the tank's main body, casting our own spells or firing our own projectiles. I can see from the corner of my eye that Lightning summoned her pink rose Eidolith, tossed it in the air and slashed it; Odin's summon symbols appearing shortly. The white knight appeared from a burst of rose petals, his shield and twin jagged blades ready.

He leaped and slashed at the tank swiftly while casting Thundaga spells as a finisher. The purple bolts rained and struck the tank. I can see a faint satisfaction in Lightning's expression as she too, casted her spells followed by a barrage of bullets to the tank. Odin shielded the most of us from an upcoming explosion, appearing from the thick smoke unscathed.

"Odin!" Lightning commanded, said Eidolon quickly transforming into his usual horse form. Lightning grabbed his sword and split it into two, executing a Stormblade and Lightning Strike, followed closely by a Razor Gale. "'Oy Light! Let's combine!" I grinned, the Eidolith on the hilt of Fairy Bow glowed a bright red. "Leviathan!" I called out, the warrior quickly materializing in front of my eyes.

He roared and leaped, executing his Blade Cross at the tank. I grinned and fired more arrows at the tank. "Thunder and water! Nice trick!" Fang cheered from the backlines. Leviathan casted his Leviathan's Favor at us, granting us statuses. He proceeded to use a Cyclone and a Waterga. Lightning responded at the second spell and used Thunderfall to further electrocute the tank.

"Leviathan!" I commanded and he morphed to his Gestalt form. I leaped to his back and stood up, firing arrows at the tank.

I suddenly remembered a technique that I've learned for so long. I tried to remember how to use it...

* * *

_~ Flashback ~_

"_Leviathan! Charge!" I commanded the serpent and he snapped his jaws at the Adamanchelid. The beast had taken a very long time to defeat as it managed to dodge most of our attacks._

_Zeal, a fellow l'Cie-Warrior summoned her crystal. "Phoenix!" Zeal called out to her loyal Eidolon. The fire bird appeared soon enough from scarlet runes on the ground. I can feel the heat of his feathers against my skin._

"_Zeal! It's too long! We have to combine our assault!" I called out to Zeal. The redhead nodded and leaped to Phoenix's back, I followed her soon enough on Leviathan's back. We both moved side-by-side and grasped each other's hand, our l'Cie brands glowing brightly._

"_Spirit Link!" We both shouted at the same time, Phoenix and Leviathan combining their respective strongest move and casted the mighty spell away. It strikes the Adamanchelid's body as it let out a last bellow before falling limp to the ground, it's hide wet and scorch marks is seen all over its body._

_Leviathan and Phoenix disappeared from existence, returning to their respective crystals. Zeal approached the creature and took some of the meat and hide. I sawed the tusk off partially and dragged it back to the town._

_What a day to hunt._

_~ Flashback ends ~_

* * *

Spirit Link. That's it! I'm going to combine Leviathan's Tidal Wave and Odin's Zantetsuken, but can Lightning learn this technique? It's a special tech given only to trusted people...

"Lightning!" I called out, moving Leviathan to stay beside a continuously leaping Odin. "We should combine our techs! Grab my hand!" I reached out to grab Lightning's hand and she grasped it in return. I tried to focus on the spell, closing my eyes. "Light, when I told you to shout 'Spirit Link', you say it, okay? Now try to focus on Odin's Zantetsuken!" Lightning nodded and closed her eyes.

Lightning's brand glowed a bright pink light and mine glowed a dark blue. "SPIRIT LINK!" We both shouted and Lightning leaped to perform Zantetsuken as Leviathan charged his Tidal Wave. Both techniques combined together, creating a large explosion as bits of soaked and crackling metal rained down. Both Eidolons got dismissed and we both landed smoothly on the ground.

"Whooooo!" Fang cheered loudly. "That's one hell of a technique!" "Yeah, that's a really destructive spell!" Hope followed and pocketed his boomerang. I dismissed my weapon and grinned at the two. When I thought that this battle has already ended, a new Skytank rose to take its place. "These guys would never stop coming!" Hope whined. When he was about to grab his boomerang again, the door to the Skytank opened, revealing Rygdea clad in a Cavalry uniform.

"C'mon, let's go!" He grinned, motioning for us to get inside. I laughed, and Fang groaned. "Aw, don't be sweet now." She said, strapping her lance back to its place. A few soldiers came down and hauled Snow back to his feet and carried him inside the Skytank.

* * *

We all got transported to the Lindblum once again and we gathered in the airship hangar. We discussed about getting to the _Palamecia_, the Sanctum Skyfleet. Cid said that Vanille and an old pilot named Sazh are imprisoned in the Skyfleet for their upcoming execution after they got captured in Nautilus.

Hearing this, Fang immediately got distressed and started cursing the person who imprisoned her best friend. It seems like she doesn't want anything to happen to the younger girl. "I swear, I'm gonna tear down the sky to save Vanille," Fang repeated that sentence over and over.

We all planned to get there as soon as an airship is ready. Rygdea offered to us that he can take us there, which calmed Fang down. He said that we can go there as soon as we're ready, and there's a risk that we might not come back here again.

"What do you think, Light?" I asked the soldier. "We'll get there now," Lightning replied. "We're ready to get both of them." "Alrighty Rygdea!" I shouted to the man who leaned against the metal door frame. "Let's go!" "Yeah! I can't wait to see Vanille again!" "The hero will save the day!" "I'm with anything as long as Vanille and Sazh are okay!" The others replied. "Well get in the airship, we've got a government to destroy!" Snow said optimistically. I cheered at his words.

We all walked to an airship and Rygdea took the pilot seat. "Ready to go and all good?" He asked. "Everything's fine here, let's get going!" Fang replied impatiently. The engines whirred and we all took off to the _Palamecia_.

Fate's waiting for us.

Alright, _Palamecia, _here we go.

* * *

Meanwhile, in somewhere dark and desolate, voices of cursed people sounded, bound by the oath to serve their master for all eternity...

"_Do not forget, dear master, the fate of Lindzei's nest lay in our hands. We should decide whether to safe the nest and defy our Focus, or destroy the nest to bits and complete our Focus. But do remember, dear master, there is an oath that you sealed with me. Which I fear that you must tell the truth..." _

"_I am bound to answer every call from you, dear master. I will assist you, and may cause death and destruction in the wake of summoning. But do remember, dear master... Your past shall not affect you, I know that you must move on to the light of the future and leave the shadows of the past..."_

"_The bright glow of joy dissipated from your life, dear master, replaced with the darkness of sorrow for all eternity. Yet we will always be by your side, to guide you to find the new light of hope and happiness. But do remember, master... You must leave your fault and make up for all of it..." _

"_Do not give up, dear master... I have appeared to raise you from the burdens of the past. You must learn to trust. To lead. To remember that this is not your end. So remember to live, always do remember to live... Only then you will see that dreams can come true, instead of shattering like you believed they would..."_

"_We will stay in your heart and spirit... We will always be... Do remember our words."_

* * *

**A/N: I suddenly got the idea of merging the Eidolons' finisher, so I made the technique Spirit Link. It's technically the same as Fairy Tail's Unison Raid. Wait up guys, the next chap will be about the group's assault to the **_**Palamecia**_**.**

**It includes Barthandelus's first boss battle, so beware for the spoilers for anyone who haven't played the game. And maybe I may type the way to win the battle, so watch out.**

**For those voices in the chap's epilogue, I suddenly had the idea for it. Maybe you'll read about the final three voices I haven't typed yet. Just guess in your mind to which character the voice belongs to (Eidolons included). As for my other OC, Zeal, she'll be explained in later chapters. I promise I'm gonna confess Alea's truth in a chapter that involves either Gran Pulse or the Fifth Ark. I'll type more after this, so wait up for the next chap.**

**Alright guys, make it a day. Until next time.**

**~ Crystal**


	12. Chapter 12: The Palamecia

**A/N: I've got some warnings for ya, as previously mentioned in chapter eleven, this may contain spoilers for the first Barthandelus boss battle, and the segment involves his techniques and components for those who haven't played the game or anyone who haven't went that far.**

* * *

_~ Short-field Landing Deck ~_

"What's going on up there?!"

"Wait a minute, security maintenance."

"Let this bird land or I'll crash her to your ass!"

"Security confirmed. You are free to land."

The airship we're on passed the security and blue landing rings appeared. We all jumped down and readied our weapons, aware of what will happen. The winds outside are blowing hard that if we don't keep our balance, we'll plummet down to death.

"Alright guys, let's go save Vanille!" Fang said, raising her lance. A blaring alarm rang across the landing deck as soldiers flooded down to get us. _"Security breach, security breach! Attention, code red, repeat, code red!" _"What's with the colors?" Hope asked and tossed his boomerang, knocking the head of a soldier. "I dunno, kinda like a military code," I shrugged and fired and arrow that struck the heart of a soldier. "Neither do I, I don't understand anything that revolves around this place." Fang said, jabbing her lance at a soldier.

"Move inside!" Lightning commanded.

* * *

Vanille dropped her head shamefully in front of Sazh. "Alright, I'll forgive you. But no more whining and crying, okay? Now be brave." Sazh said. "T-Thanks..." Vanille sniffled, wiping away her tears. _Now I have to make up for all of my mistakes... What a shame. _She thought sadly.

A pair of soldiers and a Vespid Soldier came inside the cell. "Get up!" One of them yanked Vanille forcefully to her feet. "You!" The other shouted at Sazh. "Get up!" Sazh merely leaned his head. "Get him." The chocobo chick flew out of his afro and pecked at the first soldier who was wielding a gun. The soldier dropped his gun and tried to swat the little bird away, but is failing to do so.

Sazh threw a punch at the second soldier and knocked the first one unconscious. Vanille grabbed the fallen gun and fired the weapon rapidly at the Vespid Soldier, breaking its core as it fell limp to the ground, dead and no longer moving.

"Let's go, we have to get outta this place!" Sazh grabbed his guns and Vanille her rod, before rushing outside the cell quickly.

* * *

_~ Crew Corridors ~_

"Alright guys, we're still a long way from both of them." I said, rushing forwards to catch up with the others. "Yeah, sorta like a _really _long way." Fang added. "Hey Alea?" Hope asked while tapping my back. "Can you use your Spirit Link again? In case of any emergency?"

I hesitated for a while. _What do you think, Leviathan? _I asked the loyal Eidolon mentally. _"I am at your service, master, but I feared that you do not have energy to sustain my presence." _Leviathan replied in my mind. "I can't. Sorry for that, though." I answered Hope's question. Hope gave me a confused look. "How can you know?" _Crap, _I thought. _I'll freak him out if I told him. _I managed to muster a small grin. "You'll see overtime." I said.

"Alright guys, we've got Serah and the world to save. Let's do this!" Snow said optimistically at the fleet of elites coming in on us and readied a battle stance. "As you say, _hero._" Fang joked and readied her lance. I can see Hope readying a spell on his hand. I chuckled at Fang's comment and grabbed my dagger. Hope casted the spell on his hand to an elite.

I merely grinned and rushed forwards, stabbing a soldier on the forehead. Hope winced at the sight and tried to ignore it. Lightning fired bullets randomly at the next fleet and Snow helped Hope with the spells. Fang casted her own Slowga, Painga and Ruin spells at the fleet.

I pulled out my dagger that was embedded to a soldier's heart and swung it around, creating blood trails around me. I summoned my bow and fired the magic-laced arrows followed by casting some Blizzara spells. I groaned as another alarm blared across the red corridor. _"Attention all units! Hostile forces found, code green, repeat, code green!" _said the operator operating the alarm.

"All these colors are making me dizzy," Fang complained and jabbed her lance to a soldier. "That means we're doing our job right." Lightning responded after being silent a few minutes ago. "Causing panic all around, yeah." I added. "Like, 'attention all units, capture the l'Cie'. We've been almost captured so many times ago but those stupid soldiers won't learn that they'll not succeed in capturing us." Snow added jokingly. "Wait, aren't you the idiot?" I snickered at Snow. "Hey!"

We all laughed and rushed past the bodies of the soldiers and into a metal door.

Wait up, Vanille, Sazh. We're coming.

* * *

_~ Cargo Access ~_

"Aaah, these guys aren't gonna stop coming!" Vanille whined and swung her rod around. "Like I said before, kid, no whining! I'm also tired, okay?" Sazh complained and casted Enwater at himself and Vanille. "Why don't you tell that so long ago? I'll be glad to help!" Vanille smiled and gave Sazh a Cura.

"Thanks, kid. Feel so much refreshed after this long fight." Sazh said. "I'm not a kid," Vanille pouted and casted a Watera at the Flanitors. Both mechanical Flans short circuited and Vanille returned her rod to her pelt after folding it. She reached into the small bag on her waist. "Here! This should help!" Vanille offered the vial of Potion to Sazh, who grumbled about something and downed it quickly.

The chocobo chick in his afro flew out and chirped happily. Vanille giggled at the bird and sat down on the metal floor. She glanced for a while at the partially covered brand on her thigh. _We don't have to be such fabled l'Cie to survive, _she thought sadly. _We only wanted to live. Oh, Fang... I'm really, really sorry for leaving you. I wish I could meet you again..._

* * *

_~ Starboard Weather Deck ~_

The metal door led to a place named the Starboard Weather Deck, with the winds outside deafening us. Orions, Vespids, Dragoons, all scattered around the deck. That damned alarm sounded again, this time telling something about code purple.

"_Master," _Leviathan called out to me again. _"I can hear someone's thoughts moments ago... Judging by the voice, this must be the person you and your comrades are searching. They are in the engine reactor of this fal'Cie airship." _He informed. _Thanks, Lev. I hope they're okay. _I replied him. "Guys," I called out to the others. "Vanille and Sazh are okay. They're in the Primary Engine Bay this time."The others spared me a confused look.

"What?" I asked dumbly at them. "Uh... How can you know?" Snow asked while rubbing the back of his head. "How can you understand the sectors in _Palamecia_?" Lightning added. I realized my grave mistake. Alright, I'm gonna freak all of them out.

"Umm... That's what my inner mind says," I replied sheepishly. "It kinda adds things automatically." Lightning scoffed, Fang and Snow glanced at each other and shrugged, and Hope blinked with his mouth agape. "Let's move... shall we?" I tried my best to change the topic. Luckily, the others bought my lie and walked forwards.

"_You are supposed to tell the truth, that I am speaking to you, dear master." _Leviathan's voice spoke again. _Shut up, this isn't the right time to tell it. They won't buy my words easily. _I scolded him the second time in these two days. _"So make them buy your words easily." _He added. _Look Lev, _I replied him, sighing. _Don't consider yourself that you're a slave bound to me. Consider I'm your friend._

"_A pleasure to do so, master. But I cannot call you by your name. It would be such disrespect."_ Leviathan said again, with a smile in his voice, if he can. Apparently I've zoned out for a while by talking to him.

Snapping back to reality, I summoned my weapon and followed the others around the deck, dodging mechas and soldiers along the way rather than fighting them. "I can't wait to see Vanille!" Fang groaned all the way to the deck's end. "Shut up, Fang." Lightning said irritably. A deafening roar sounded and a beast rose from the sides of the deck. I can see writing on the Wyvern-like beast that reads 'Kalavinka' and the other reads 'Striker'.

We all readied our weapons, provoking the creature to attack us.

Alright, this is _really _bad.

* * *

_~ Primary Engine Bay ~_

"Now to go somewhere..." Sazh said while striding around the maze-like reactor. He and Vanille had fought some strong scaly beasts here that looked like the ones they saw back in Sunleth. "Umm... Sazh? Where we going now?" Vanille asked from behind him.

"Find an exit and get to your friend," Sazh replied. "And destroy the engine core if we needed to." Vanille looked at him in shock. "No way!" she protested. "That'll crash this whole airship down!" "Relax, Vanille. The operators surely will find the way to levitate this annoying thing back."

Vanille giggled. "You said that this is a modified fal'Cie," she continued to giggle. "Now you're calling it a 'thing'." Sazh shook his head at her comment. _What a little kid, _he thought. _You would still consider this condition as sugar and rainbows._

That thought reminded him of his son. Dajh as a little boy, he was a sweet kid that often talks about how his chocobo chick would be if she grew up into an adult chocobo. Yep, the bird's a 'she'.

But now his son has turned into a crystal statue, and he would never meet his son again until the decided time. _Sweet dreams, son. _He smiled. _We will meet again someday._ That's it. He always felt a strange feeling if he thought about sad things like this. Somehow the voice spoke about reminding him to stay alive and about shattered dreams. He didn't have a clue to guess who it is.

"You're still thinking about Dajh, right?" Vanille asked softly. "Yeah. But it's okay, it's not your fault." He added quickly to prevent the girl from blaming herself again. "And it's not yours, too." Vanille said.

* * *

This thing's really annoying. The Kalavinka kept sending bolts of lightning at us. And the next thing, I can't use Spirit Link again to defeat it quickly. Well, it's for manual time, I guess.

I think that we made a mistake in patterns of attacking. Every time we strike it with a thunder-based spell, it doesn't flinch. _"You have made a mistake, and are dangerous if you don't counter it quickly." _Said the voice of Leviathan in my mind.

Maybe he's right?

_Okay... what's up? _I asked him while casting Watera spells at the Wyvern. _"You strike it with a thunder-based spell, and it would heal the beast instead of depleting its life. Counter this quickly, if not, you and your comrades' life are at risk."_ I better thank him for reminding me.

"Guys!" Hope realized quicker than I am. "Don't strike it with a thunder-based spell!" the others quickly realized this and Hope spared all of us a Barthunder spell. "Thanks kid!" Fang said, leaping to get the Wyvern. Lightning quickly casted a Cure spell for each of us. "Be patient," she advised. "We'll defeat it in no time if we follow Hope's suggestion."

Snow grinned as usual and punched the creature square on its belly. Seeing the opportunity, I leaped and slashed at its neck, creating scars on its tough skin. I decided to let myself fall down and casted more pairs of Watera and Blizzara. The creature roared one last time before falling down and slid on the edge, plummeting down below.

We all panted and returned our weapons in their respective places. An explosion sounded as a nearby metal wall exploded, thick clouds of smoke appearing. Two figures appeared from the thick smoke, one of them calling out desperately.

"Fang! Fang, is that you?" A familiar voice sounded. "Vanille!" Fang smiled with joy as her friend popped out of the smoke and hugged her close. We all chuckled at the sight. "Alright, who is this?" Sazh appeared from the smoke after Vanille did. "Oh, right, you've never met me. I'm Alea." I smiled at Sazh. "I'm Sazh." He said.

I can see Fang bending down and lifted the left part of Vanille's skirt, apparently checking her brand. The guys just laughed nervously and turned around. "Oh, Fang, I wanna say sorry to you... I should've never left you." Vanille said guiltily. "I'm also worried for you; I thought you were already a Cie'th." Fang replied.

"There you are," Snow said beside Sazh. "Hello again, kid. Missed me?" Sazh questioned. "Not you, the monster!" Snow exclaimed as a Kalavinka rose from the edge of the deck. "Fang—" "Nu-uh, 'Nille, we've gotta talk about this later!" Fang grabbed her lance and readied a stance.

Vanille, as a Saboteur, is quite a good one. She casted Deprotect and Deshell at the Kalavinka and followed the others' assault. Sazh, on the other hand, is a good offensive Synergist compared to Hope, who was a defensive Synergist. He was also quite good as a Ravager, he knew the Fire spell that I do not.

"_I see most of your energy has been restored, master. This way you can link me again with other Eidolons." _Leviathan said suddenly. "Alright, Snow!" I called out to the said hero. "Summon Shiva!" he quickly obeyed and the crystal heart appeared on his hand. "Shiva!" he called out to the twins as an orb materialized. I lifted my sword and the butterfly crystal glowed a bright red.

"Leviathan!" I called out and the air in front of me became distorted. He materialized quickly and bowed, leaping to get the Kalavinka. The beast roared and flapped its wings around, trying to slap Leviathan. Meanwhile, Stiria casted her own spells and Nix made her own move.

"We do this together!" Snow said and the Sisters merged into a motorcycle. "Summon the chaos!" I commanded Leviathan and he transformed in a burst of light. "Snow!" I called out to Snow who controlled Shiva to perform their Ice Ramp.

"Back off! Back off!" Fang shouted, prompting the others to back away. "Watch out, they're gonna use their Spirit Link!" Hope added, backing away from the Kalavinka.

"Okay Snow, when I prompt you to say 'Spirit Link', say it! Focus your mind on Diamond Dust!" I commanded and focused on Tidal Wave. "Spirit!" I shouted as a strong Tidal Wave swept across the Kalavinka. "Link!" Snow added and Shiva froze the water, trapping the Kalavinka inside the frozen waves. It let out an ear-piercing shriek and wiggled to break free.

Shiva shattered the frozen wall of water, killing the Kalavinka in the process. Each of the Sisters blew a kiss to Snow and faded away, Leviathan following. "Nice shot!" Vanille smiled, lifting her rod high. I wheezed, falling down to my knees. No, no, don't collapse now!

I felt the energy slowly sapped from me as the whole world around me blacked. The last thing I saw is Hope's worried expression and Fang shouting for me to stay awake.

* * *

_I awoke in somewhere desolate. The darkness faded away and it revealed Gran Pulse, with its people still existing. I laughed joyfully and tried to greet one of them, instead my hand merely went through their bodies. I blinked in disbelief._

_Those images shattered, revealing the state of Gran Pulse, hundreds of years after the War of Transgression. I can see every city in ruins, with no inhabitant, no voices, and no images._

_Nothing._

_Only the damned Cie'th, wandering aimlessly in this desolate world devoid of human life. Beasts roam freely about the wilds, no voices of hunters trying to hunt their prey. Nothing is here._

_I semiconsciously started to cry, images of the war scarring me like fresh wounds from a blade. I can see the very moment Etro crystallized Ragnarok's creator, the sisters from the northernmost border of Pulse. But who are they? Why can't I remember anything about Ragnarok?_

_Then in the shadows... I saw it. A massive fal'Cie, originating from Cocoon. The fal'Cie laughed maniacally as the Cocoon soldiers massacred Pulse's people. I can only see the massive fal'Cie from the back, white angelic wings sprouting from the fal'Cie's back, arms massive that the fal'Cie could easily crush you within seconds. The fal'Cie continued to cackle, smashing someone that I recognize as a Pulse warrior beneath his talons._

_The fal'Cie turned around to face me. His eyes showed emptiness, but a cruel fate at the same time. The fal'CIe spread his wings and took off like a bullet back to the heavily scarred Cocoon._

_The image shattered before my eyes like brittle glass. I wiped the blood tears away from my eyes and walked in the darkness. The air turned out distorted as a figure appeared in front of me. The fal'Cie._

_The fal'Cie grinned evilly and slashed his massive talons at my torso. I screamed as the sharp talons pierced my skin and drew blood._

"_Embrace death, l'Cie!"_

_Everything went black._

* * *

_~ Normal POV ~_

Alea has suddenly fainted in front of them. Hope and Vanille had panicked for a while, now they've been trying to cast some healing spells to awaken her. She collapsed almost immediately after using her second Spirit Link. Was it her energy that was sapped greatly after using the technique, or was it something she hid... again?

Lightning leaned against the metal wall and folded her arms on her chest. Alea said that she wanted everyone to hear her admitting her lies all this time, and this was the perfect time to know after she had awoken.

She heard a yelp from Vanille and snapped back. Alea had suddenly jolted upright and panted uncontrollably, eyes wide in... Shock?

"Fal'Cie... Curse you," she muttered. "Why? What fal'Cie?" Fang asked in confusion. "Damn it!" Alea cursed and banged the metal floor. "What is the name of that fal'Cie?!" "Alea!" Lightning snapped at the girl. "Be clear! What happened?" she asked and kneeled down to stare in her jewel-toned orbs.

"I don't remember..." Alea replied and ran a hand along her hair. "It was this image I saw... The image of Gran Pulse. Then it turned to be the War of Transgression, and it shattered... The fal'Cie appeared before me and attacked me before saying something... I can't make up the words. I think he's saying 'embrace death'."

"Come on then, we better finish this airship first and find out why you collapsed." Fang assured and we all looked around the area. A Garuda appeared soon enough and Vanille giggled. "Vanille! Go fish!" Fang ordered her younger friend. "Okay!" Vanille gathered momentum before swinging her rod forwards. The wires latched on a Garuda and Fang quickly jumped and pinned the beast to the ground.

"Come on! You wanna come or not?!" Vanille yelled to them amidst the rushing winds. Snow laughed at the girl's question and wordlessly, they all jumped to the winged beast's back.

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

I gazed down at the clear sky, riding on a Garuda Fang and Vanille tamed a few minutes ago. Poor Sazh had been dangling over the beast's tail and Fang and Snow are forced to stand up due to the area limit of the creature's back. We can't sit at the same time, I guess.

"Whooooo!" Fang hollered as her wild hair is blown around by the wind. "Fang! I missed riding a Wyvern like this!" Vanille added, looking around. "Watch out, we've got some followers!" Sazh, who had been dangling on the creature's tail shouted at all of us. I can see from the corner of my eyes that some airships had been following us.

The Garuda roared and fired its lightning bolts at the airship. "One destroyed, three still chasing!" I shouted at Fang. She jabbed her lance deeper into the creature's back and it roared, casting more bolts.

The airships open fired and one of the laser bullets struck the creature's wings as it roared in agony. It fired a large gaping hole on the floor that led to a room. "Jump!" Fang ordered and we all jumped down, Vanille screaming as usual as the Garuda flew away.

I tried not to hit the hard metal ground, but I did, and we all fell on top of each other. I blacked out.

* * *

_~ Bridge Access ~_

I snapped my eyes open and felt someone on top of me. I'm lying face down on the floor and when I turned my head around, I saw Vanille lying on my back. "Vanille," I groaned, burying my face in my arms. "Wake up." Vanille stirred and upon realizing that she fell on me, she immediately jolted to her feet. "Sorry, Alea! I didn't mean to!"

"It's... fine," I replied tiredly. "But you're a bit heavy." I added with a grin. Vanille just pouted at my comment. "I'm not heavy." The others stirred and got to their feet and I pushed myself to do so. I thought that we were standing on a floor, but we're not.

In fact, we are on tall platforms hundreds of meters over the real ground.

Lightning spotted three control panels and walked to them. She pressed something on the display screen and bridges appeared to connect each platform with the other. "Split. Bring at least one good Medic and we meet at the end of the access." Hope hesitated for a while. "I'll... um... Go with Light."

"I'll go with Fang." Vanille said, skipping to Fang's side. That would leave me with Snow and Sazh. "Fine, I'll go with you both." I groaned. "Let's split." I, Snow and Sazh took the right bridge, Fang and Vanille took the left bridge and Lightning and Hope took the central bridge.

The _Palamecia_'s Bridge Access was harder that it seems. One wrong step and we'll all plummet to death. The bridges branched everywhere, and some are dead ends. Random soldiers, creatures and robots are placed on the platforms after the main one.

I rushed down the bridge and found soldiers and elites. Snow knocked the elite unconscious and I and Sazh killed the remaining two soldiers. Sazh aimed his gun at the unconscious elite's head and pulled the trigger. I spotted a control panel and activated a new bridge. The next platform doesn't have anything but a few vials of Potions on it.

Sazh activated another control panel and it went to the front. I glanced around and spotted Fang and Vanille activating a bridge and pocketed something on the next platform. I looked around and saw Hope and Lightning making their way through some soldiers.

I stepped on the bridge and found some modified creatures on the next platform. Sazh casted Enwater on all of us and I striked the Vespid Soldier, short circuiting it. Snow punched the Thermadon's scaly body and I tried to pierce it, yet my sword only created a scar on its armored body. Sazh fired his guns and I tried to cast multiple Watera spells at once.

The creature staggered backwards and the tough armor disappeared. Snow juggled the creature in the air and I proceeded to pin it down the ground, and Sazh fired rapidly at the creature's heart.

I quickly pressed the panel that linked this platform to the central. Fang and Vanille are also connecting their platform to the one we're heading to. After rushing around and grabbing fallen items, we all gathered on the final platform. In front of the platform was a black metal door with a Cocoon fal'Cie symbol carved on it.

"Ready?" Lightning asked, motioning to the door. "Surely we will." Sazh replied. "Let's go!" Vanille said and threw her fist in the air. "Fate's waiting." I added.

We all strode forwards into the door.

* * *

We all rushed into a room with operators. "Nabaat! Been looking for you." Sazh pointed his guns at Jihl who stood beside a throne. "Your Eminence," Jihl said. "Take your leave. I will deal with them," Jihl drew her baton out.

The whole room fell silent. An elderly man sat on the throne. "Why don't you leave, Jihl? Or rather, take your leave." The man named Galenth Dysley said. "Humans have no business here."

"Your Eminence—!" Jihl let out a pained cry as magic struck her back, killing her instantly. Orbs of light appeared on the staff Dysley wielded and he levitated, the orbs struck the remaining operators and ending their life. More orbs appeared and Dysley aimed it at the roof, also dissolving it and revealing the sky above.

"Dysley!" Snow shouted and tried to punch him, but he was blown aback by a magical force surrounding Dysley. "Snow, are you okay?" Hope asked worriedly and Lightning helped Snow to his feet. Dysley spoke for a while and his words alone made my blood boil. How dare he sacrifice Cocoon?!

"I don't think fal'Cie have the means!" Lightning challenged. "fal'Cie?" He chuckled. "You mean me." A blinding light shone across the room and we were forced to shield our eyes at the bright light.

"I am fal'Cie," a heavy, distorted voice sounded. "My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum, the lord-sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie. Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for the Purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn our counsel?_ You must learn your place!_" Said fal'Cie appeared before us. Wait a minute... jagged teeth, sharp talons, emotionless eyes...

The fal'Cie that ripped Gran Pulse apart, the one I saw in a vision.

"Y-You... You are..." I stuttered, trying to make up the world. "Aye, I am the one that destroyed your home world." Barthandelus grinned cruelly. Fang and Vanille widened their eyes in shock and boiling anger at the being. Barthandelus laughed maniacally at us and slammed his fists on the floor. "Ahahahah, insolent lowlife," he said. Lightning pointed her gunblade at the massive fal'Cie and the others readied a battle stance.

Barthandelus casted his enhancement spells and opened his mouth, gathering a Ruinga spell. We all leaped sideways as the powerful spell exploded in the spot we're previously in. Fang shouted in anger and leaped to stab Barthandelus, and he countered by swatting her to the room's wall roughly. "Fang!" Vanille cried in worry and casted Cura to her friend.

"I'm okay!" Fang said and casted series of Slow and Curse spells at the fal'Cie. "GRAAAAH!" Barthandelus roared and used his Magic Amplification twice in rapid succession. Hope and Sazh shared us some Protect, Shell and Haste spells to protect us from an incoming Thundaga. "Incoming!" Lightning shouted and we all shielded ourselves from the purple bolts of electricity. I jumped and evaded the spell in time as a Ruinga was aimed at me. I dashed forwards and bolted behind the fal'Cie and slashed my sword sideways, cutting Barhandelus's Right Ailette clean off. The component fell to the ground and shattered into dust upon contact with the floor. "NO!" he shrieked and slashed his talons blindly at me. One of his talons had cut a long gash along my torso.

Barthandelus swiped at Fang, casting a Baptism in Ruin at Hope, two Ruingas at Snow, and many other spells including a destructive Destrudo. We all shielded ourselves as the attack exploded, knocking Hope and Vanille to the ground. Biting my lower lip, I casted Curasa at the wound and sealed it quickly. Snow dashed forwards and punched the fal'Cie dead on his left eye and Lightning cut the Left Pauldron at the same time. "You damned fal'Cie!" I shouted and fired magic arrows at Barthandelus.

Barthandelus staggered back and opened his maws, charging a Thanatosian Smile. Darn it, this is going to hurt. "Guys, here it comes!" Hope said as Fang and Snow readied their Steelguards.

Before I knew it, the spell was casted Lightning's way.

* * *

_~ Lightning's POV ~_

"Guys, here it comes!" Hope cried. The Thanatosian Smile casted my way and I have no time to evade it as the powerful spell moved quickly, rays of blue, white and black shooting towards me. "Die now, l'Cie!" Barthandelus shouted maniacally at us. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

"Gah!" A cry splitted the air and when I opened my eyes, I can't believe the sight before me.

Alea had decided to become a human shield to protect me from the laser rays.

There she stood, gritting her teeth as she lifted her sword and blocked the attack, some of the rays cutting through her skin. "Move, Lightning!" she commanded and tried her best to prevent me from being hit. "But you're—" "DO IT!" she interrupted, turning her head back to the spell she blocked. I moved away from the spell's path and dashed to Barthandelus, cutting his Right Pauldron off.

The Thanatosian Smile blasted Alea to the wall, sending her flying across the room and hitting the wall. She dropped her sword and grunted at the bruises and cuts she had. "What did you do?!" Fang shouted in anger at the grinning Barthandelus. "It is not my fault." Barthandelus said, laughing. Vanille and Hope exchanged glances at each other and rushed to the fallen Alea. Snow and Sazh rushed to the fal'Cie with Fang and tried to keep him off the others.

I rushed quickly to Alea's side as she groaned when Hope sealed a long gash on her left arm. But then something unexpected happened. The left part of her chest glowed a brilliant blue and white strings on magic weaved through her wounds, sealing them and also removing the bruises. "What in the?" Hope said in confusion as Alea sat upright and grabbed her fallen sword. "You okay?" Vanille questioned with a spark of worry in her voice.

I glanced backwards and saw Fang rushing to cut Barthandelus's Left Ailette. I turned back to Alea. "I'm okay, fine as new. No worries, Vanille." She spoke with, strangely, a Pulsian accent. She dashed off and joined the others in the fight. "Wait!" Hope called out. "Y-You're a Pulsian?!" he questioned again.

Said girl turned around. "If you say so!" she shouted back and cut Barthandelus's Left Pauldron off. The fal'Cie roared and writhed, casting his Mystic Aura again. "The details don't matter!" I shouted and rushed back to the fight with Hope and Vanille following behind.

"INSOLENT LOWLIFE!" Barthandelus roared and slashed his talons again and again at Snow, who evaded the deadly sharp talons. "Do you think you mere l'Cies can defeat a fal'Cie?!"

"We can, with determination!" Vanille said and casted her own spells along with Hope. "You're low on moral, old timer!" Fang mocked the fal'Cie and used her Dispel spells at the fal'Cie. Sazh fired his guns and grumbled a 'Slime-arch' under his breath. Barthandelus doubled his Enchanted Veil and casted three Ruingas at once.

I dodge-rolled to the side and casted my own thunder-based spells and dashed forwards to fire some bullets and slashed Barthandelus's arm. "You're dead, Farron!" he said and swiped his talons, swatting me to the floor. I know what will happen next.

Barthandelus's fist went down and I lifted my gunblade quickly to block his fist. Had I not timed my move, I would've been crushed under his strength. Barthandelus grinned and readied a quick Destrudo in his maws. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH LIGHTNING!" a roar sounded and Alea dashed to pin Barthandelus's fist to the ground with her sword as I rolled sideways. The cold metal went through his fist and pinned it down. Alea acted quickly and grabbed her dagger, tossing it and it pierced Barthandelus's right eye. The fal'Cie roared and slumped to the ground.

"Go to hell." Alea growled and withdrew her dagger and grabbed her sword. Barthandelus morphed to his usual Primarch disguise and a silver owl rested on his staff. "Worthless," he spat. "If you're that strong, prove your worth!"

The owl named Menrva flew around the room and transformed into a battleship. Barthandelus laughed one last time and glared into my eyes. "Farewell, l'Cie." He said, fading into nothingness.

Alea lowered her head shamefully. "I'm pathetic." She chuckled bitterly. "No you're—" Vanille tried to reject Alea's statement. "For lying to all of you. I'm the worst liar you ever knew..." she said. "Do not seek me. Farewell," she stared blankly into my eyes. "_Lightning._"

She rushed to the empty part of the room and vanished mysteriously into crystal dust, ignoring the others' cries of protest and for her to stop. The dust floated along the room and faded as well. "We've gotta get her!" Snow said to all of us. "We better do, kid. Let's get on this bird-plane." Sazh said and all of us went inside, with Sazh on the pilot seat.

The airship, Menrva, controlled its engines automatically and zoomed off to the clear sky.

* * *

"Where should we look?" Vanille asked Sazh. "I dunno, kid!" Sazh replied in exasperation. "This whole l'Cie and fal'Cie things are making me confused!" We all laughed and I shook my head faintly. A faint whir sounded and we all turned to see a flying mecha with Yaag inside.

The Proudclad fired missiles at Menrva and the ship evaded quickly, firing its own missiles. "What the hell? This airship is fighting by itself!" Sazh cried out and some of the missiles hit Menrva's wing. The airship flew through an invisible dome as it descended slowly, damaged.

"We're gonna hit that building!" Hope cried out and started to panic. I closed my eyes and braced myself from impact.

But the impact never happened.

* * *

**A/N: Whoo hoo! This is a new record! The longest chap of all! Cheers!**

**Vanille: What's gonna happen next?**

**Fang: Yeah, we wanna know, Crys! You better work more on your story!**

**Hope: You didn't answer my question!**

**Yeah, yeah, be patient, guys. Keep your spirits, I'm gonna work on the next chap shortly after this, and try to be patient. Maybe from now on the chaps are long. I regretted posting the second chap, it's too short. I hope this chap makes up for it.**

**Oh, and FYI (again), I'm gonna set up (yet) another sequel to the next sequel (are you confused with this quote?), and it happens in the LR universe as soon as the game is finished and I've got some info. I wish you luck, Light.**

**And I'm gonna tell Alea's secrets in the next chap.**

**~ Crystal**


	13. Chapter 13: Bahamut, the Sky King

**A/N: This chap is for you impatient readers (sorry I called you that) that are dying to know who Alea is; you've got your answer here, in the thirteenth chapter. This will revolve around the Fifth Ark, sorry if I've got some mistakes in terms of sorting out which is visited the first, I never played the game for a long time so I forgot most of the dialogues there.**

**Once again I'm gonna say sorry. I forgot when will you visit Lower Traverse, High Conflux etc., either it's after Cid or before him. I won't be telling you how to defeat a Berserker if you met one. Sorry to SE that in later points I can make changes to the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology (like adding a new deity to the mythology).**

**And for the warnings, I've got one:**

**SPOILERS WARNING: BEWARE FOR ANY OF YOU READERS THAT HAVEN'T FINISHED THE ARK OR ITS CHALLENGES, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.**

**And warning for the Cid Raines and Bahamut battle.**

* * *

Menrva crashed straight through a dome and stranded the gang in a new place. "Alright, where are we?" Hope asked. "I dunno, we should go in farther." Sazh replied and walked forwards. Lightning followed the others soon and stopped to glance back at Snow, who sat with his head dropped and Serah's tear in his grasp.

"I'm not sure, sis." He said. "I'm not sure to carry out Serah's wish or destroy our home." Lightning hesitated for a while. "Keep your spirits. We'll find a way to do even both of them." Snow raised his head back. "Thanks."

"Now let's move on and discover what place is this." Lightning added seriously. "Okay then, we've got a world to save." Snow grinned as usual. Lightning shook her head. They both walked to follow the others, leaving Menrva behind.

As they walked, the interior of the building, or whatever this place is, became stranger and more foreign to them. Lightning noticed that a number was etched to the wall, but she couldn't decipher what number it is. Vanille gasped inaudibly and rushed to Fang. "It's an Ark!" She exclaimed happily at her older friend. "Oh is it? It doesn't seem like one to me," Fang replied.

Vanille pointed to a number on the wall. "Look," she said. "It's the number three. It means we're on the third floor." Fang nodded in confirmation. "It's not a fake Ark." She said.

"Alright, do you guys care to explain what an 'Ark' is?" Lightning asked the two Pulsians. "Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside." Vanille began. "As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stored those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world."

"Who knows you could find one in Cocoon?" Fang added, shrugging. "We never knew," Vanille giggled. "The fal'Cie hid those, so it's hard to find one. It's an achievement to find one." "This must be the Fifth Ark." Fang said, looking around. "It'll be a good place to train!" Snow said optimistically. Vanille just giggled at his antics. "We're gonna be stronger in no time."

"Watch your mouth, _hero_." Fang said sternly and glared at Snow. "It won't be an easy trip to clear an Ark." "Yeah, the 'living weapons' here are strong. You should be careful." Vanille said and skipped forwards cheerfully.

Lightning just rolled her eyes and Sazh sighed. "Kids all over again," he grumbled.

* * *

_~ Alea's POV ~_

"An Ark, huh?"

I walked around the Ark's third floor. _"Yes, master. You can train here. But I recommend you to confess now, whether you want it or not." _Leviathan confirmed. "Hmph," I hummed. I neared a vessel and my brand glowed brightly, the runes on the vessel twisting and glowing and it let out a whir as a Pulsework Knight and a pair of Circuitrons appeared.

I readied my sword and merely slashed my sword, cutting the Knight in two halves and it fell with a clang. I casted Water spells at the Circuitrons and one of them fell, but the other was about to explode. I applied a Mediguard and the Circuitron blew off, leaving crackling metal and a shallow crater in its wake.

I'm sure if the others are here, they would hear the explosion.

_Stupid me, _I berated myself mentally. _I should've ripped it apart wire by wire before it explodes. _Sighing, I moved on to another vessel and repeated the process, leaving only mangled metal behind me. Sounds of footsteps sounded from afar. "The others... But how can they find an Ark?" I grumbled at the noise that follows. A giggle and voices echoed through the tunnel.

"_Run this time, master." _Leviathan commanded. Humming, I climbed the wall and hid behind the shadows on an alcove.

* * *

The group walked and found an empty, large room with vessels extending from the floor to the ceiling. "We can train here." Fang said. "Yeah, there are monsters inside the vessels. Choose yours wisely, some you cannot defeat and some you can." Vanille added.

They all walked to the room's center when a tingling feeling filled the air. A blaring pain shot through all of their brands, each glowing a bright red as the symbols of the vessels twisted and glowed in response. Gears clicked and whirred; the doors of _all _of the vessels opened and revealed mechanical Pulse soldiers. "So good for 'pick your vessels wisely'," Sazh said in annoyance as monsters of various shapes and sizes appeared in the room.

A Pulsework Knight approached them, prompting a fight. "Get ready, guys!" Hope said and readied a spell on his hand. Snow dashed to punch the thing and both Lightning and Fang tried to scar the mecha with their respective weapons. "It's not working," Vanille said.

"Keep trying, then." Sazh added, firing his guns. The mecha staggered back and its gears clicked. Its body extended like usual Pulsework mechas, electricity crackling in its core. Vanille striked the thing with her rod and Sazh fired his guns to break the core.

The mecha snapped into two, mangled metal dropping uselessly to the floor. A pair of a Circuitrons appeared and rounded them with a new and still working Pulsework Knight. "I told you it'll be hard to clear an Ark!" Vanille yelled at Sazh and casted more spells at the Circuitrons.

"Don't be too confident, old man!" Snow added. "This is hell's armory, this must be hard!" Hope said and tossed his boomerang at the Pulsework Knight. "_Gran Pulse_!" Fang shouted from afar and leaped to wreck the Circuitron's body.

Light footsteps sounded across the room after the battle was over. "Did you hear that?" Lightning said, holstering her gunblade. "Yeah, like footsteps." Hope replied his mentor. "It must be Alea." Snow said and slammed his fists together. "I'm not sure. It can be mechas or monsters." Vanille added.

"Listen closer," Lightning said. Nothing sounded. "Maybe I'm wrong. There's nothing here but mechas." Lightning said. "We should move on, we've gotta get outta this Ark." Sazh added.

All of them walked to the next room. "Mangled metals?" Fang motioned to pieces of a Pulsework Knight and pieces of metal in a shallow crater that still crackles with electricity. Snow picked one up and examined it, Lightning following by examining a Pulsework Knight cut in half. "The cuts are jagged." Snow said. "But it's in a crater. That means a Circuitron has blown off." Vanille pointed to the crater. "It's crackling."

The others nodded in confirmation. "But this," Lightning continued. "The cuts are jagged with patterns matching with Alea's sword. So I assumed that she escaped here and engaged a Pulsework Soldier and a Circuitron. But the Circuitron blown off and she fled after slicing this Knight into half."

"That would mean she's here." Fang concluded, and Hope hummed his response. "Let's go find her."

They all walked into the next room.

* * *

"But this," Lightning continued. I listened closely. "The cuts are jagged with patterns matching with Alea's sword. So I assumed that she escaped here and engaged a Pulsework Soldier and a Circuitron. But the Circuitron blown off and she fled after slicing this Knight into half."

"Shit." I cursed under my breath. _That was a pretty detailed scenario of what happened before you guys got here. _I watched as Fang concluded Lightning's scenario and Hope humming his response. "Let's go find her." He said and the others followed him to the next room. I narrowed my eyes.

"You wanna get me, huh?" I said to myself. "I must find an alternate path to somewhere safe for me to hide from the others." Peeking through the alcove's corner, I jumped down quietly and hid behind a vessel. All the machines inside the room shut down and the lights dimmed.

"Am I able to use a Rift to teleport?" I asked Leviathan. _"I feared you cannot," _he replied. I scoffed. _"But maybe you can if you willed for it." _"Okay, I'll try." I shut my eyes. _Teleport, _I thought. Nothing happened. _Please, just for this time. I must navigate around the Fifth Ark with it._

A distortion appeared beside me. _"Good work." _ Leviathan said. I went through the rift.

* * *

A bright light shone across the path, but then the light faded in a split second. "What in Gran Pulse?" Fang asked in confusion. "Don't mind it. Probably the room's lights are triggered by our presence." Lightning said. "I trust you now, soldier girl." Sazh said.

The next room appears to be a small one. A lot of slimy neon green Flans roamed across the room and a Behemoth was snoozing in the room's corner. Sure, the Flans are small, but they could approach in hordes, or worse; Fusing with each other to form a stronger thing.

"Shh, be quiet," Vanille whispered. "Behemoths are sensitive in hearing terms." Fang added with the same volume. "Now, if we are quiet enough, we can avoid battling the beast." All of them tiptoed to the door. The Flans seem to not notice them; they're all huddled in the room's other corner.

_Creak._

A tile creaked beneath Snow's feet. The Behemoth let out a growl. All of them huffed in relief. "Close on," Lightning said. But unfortunately, when Vanille was about to open the door, the Behemoth's eyes snapped open and it roared, causing the Flans to escape the room. "Just like what I expected to happen!" Fang said, drawing her lance.

"I don't blame you, Snow!" Vanille yelled to the man. "Arks now are too old. That tile is too fragile for you to step on!" she swung her rod at the beast's legs. Lightning backflipped to avoid the beast's claws. Snow punched the creature's face and Vanille casted her Poison spells at the gash formed after Lightning slashed at the creature's legs.

It bellowed in agony and started to bite blindly. Vanile entangled its neck with the wires of her Binding Rod and Lightning leaped to its back in time to slice its head off. Its foul blood flowed freely to the floor. "This is what I hate of Behemoths..." Vanille grimaced at the Behemoth's carcass.

"We've gotta eat or else we'll starve to death," Fang added and cut some of its tough hide. "Behemoths are the best." She added and collected some of the creature's meat. The others sat down on the floor. "'Nille, ya got some strings?" Fang asked her younger friend. "Nope. But I found these lately; I'll tie up the pouch." Vanille replied and wrapped the meat with the hide, before tying it with a tough rope.

"Someone carry these! Beware, it can attract beasts." Vanille said and handed the pouch to Snow. They all continued to walk to the next corridor. Shrieks sounded from afar and a pair of Skata'ne and Stikini appeared. "Ugh! I hate these things!" Hope commented, tossing his boomerang to the Yaksha. "They're magic-oriented creatures! Kill the Stikini first, or else it's gonna be worse!" Fang shouted while casting Ruin spells at the Stikini.

The Skata'ne danced with grace before screeching, running to Sazh to deal him a flurry of kicks. The Stikini responded by using its Delirious Dance, enhancing them both and tossing its Shuriken-like projectiles at Vanille. Lightning fired bullets and successfully killed the Stikini. But the Skata'ne on the other hand, was agile and hard to strike.

Fang jabbed the creature and pinned it to the floor by its wing-like flaps. The creature screeched and wiggled to break free but is a second too late when Snow used a Blizzara to freeze it on the floor. "They're not edible. Leave them be." Vanille said.

The next area was filled with platforms, stairs and planks with creatures, and a Behemoth on a distant platform. On the planks were those neon flans they've previously met, and a large horde of Noctilucales near the Behemoth.

"This isn't our lucky day." Snow said while scratching the back of his head. A pair of Noctilucales neared them. Lightning acted quickly by stabbing its 'head' part and Fang finished the other quickly. She cut a petal from the flower on its head and stuffed it inside the pouch Snow carried.

"Instant replacement for vegetables." Vanille said. "Let's move on and find an empty place to stop for a while." Fang added.

* * *

The Rift I used made me appear on a plank. "Damn it, I'm on a plank." I cursed, looking down to see the others. I crossed carefully to the platform on the other side. A Behemoth was waiting for me there. When it was about to open its maws to roar, I silenced it quickly by firing an arrow that pierced straight on its heart. It collapsed, no longer moving.

"Shut up, beast." I grumbled and went down the stairs. I saw the others stopping in a hollow space hidden from any beast. I spotted a plank and jumped to reach it. I saw another across the one I'm holding. "Now swing..." I muttered. I gathered momentum and swung myself to the next plank.

_Clank._

"Shit." I cursed. My heel had hit the metal wall. "What's that?" Hope's voice sounded. "Never mind it, Hope." Vanille's voice sounded. I climbed the nearby pipe system and crouched in the shadows on a platform. I heard squishing sounds nearby. I saw it, three—no, _ten _Noctilucales crowded together on the platform I'm on.

Cursing, I jumped down the platform and tiptoed to the room's corner. It was dark too, and no creatures nearby. "ALEA!" Snow's shout echoed. Annoyed, I grabbed my bow and fired a warning shot to the floor beside Snow. _If you're smart enough, track me with that arrow. _I thought irritrably.

I summoned a Rift and escaped the area quickly before any of them managed to find me.

* * *

"ALEA!" Snow shouted and it echoed across the room. Lightning merely rolled her eyes and continued to eat the Behemoth meat they collected lately.

His answer was an arrow that came flying to his side with deadly speed. "She's here!" Snow said. "What? Where?!" Fang replied and bolted to her feet. "There!" Vanille pointed to the similar orange glow they saw earlier. Hope picked the arrow up and examined it.

"This is an arrow similar to Alea's. Let's go to that glow!" he said. They all packed the remaining food that wasn't eaten and left to the glow's source.

"Nothing's here." Sazh said. "We've gotta get her quickly before she escaped!" "Come on!" Lightning commanded and they went to an elevator to get to the next floor quickly. It seems that Fang's Lady Luck isn't on their side today.

Four Circuitrons came down flying to greet them. Hope, Snow and Vanille casted a Watera at once to short-circuit all of them. The next floor was a large, empty arena with a lone figure there.

"Cid?" Snow asked in confusion and dropped the pouch he was carrying. "What're _you _doing here?" Fang asked with the same tone, but sharper. "Raines!" Lightning exclaimed, trying to attack Cid. "You traitor!" Cid merely took grip of her gunblade, easily disarming her.

"It's a pity to see you again," he said. "Has your search for that girl come empty?" "We can't get her. She escaped every time we spotted her." Hope said accompanied with a nod from Vanille. "Then you are useless," Cid said. That made him receive multiple glares. "You can't find someone, how come can you fulfill the fal'CIes' desire?"

"What do you mean?" Lightning said sharply at the taller man. "I was about to destroy the Sanctum and its fal'CIe, Barthandelus." He began. "My plan backfired, and I was turned into a l'Cie." Reflecting this, his brand glowed brightly. "I am supposed to lead you tools into destroying Cocoon. Yet I don't wish to destroy it. I want you to save it!"

A wall of light shaped like Cocoon fal'Cie and l'Cie brand surrounded them. "If I can defeat you here, the fal'Cie plan will fail. I will use all my remaining power! _I will set you free_!"

Cid morphed into a Cie'th-like hybrid before them with a gigantic clawed arm. He proceeded to shift into his Offensive Shift and buffeted Fang with a flurry of kicks. Fang was lucky that she can apply Steelguard before receiving the attack.

Hope, Vanille and Lightning casted series of spells at Cid. Sazh followed by sharing some Haste, Vigilance, Faith and Bravery with all of them. "What I see of you is weakness!" Cid exclaimed, slashing at Snow with his clawed arm. "You are a bunch of worthless tools! You better die here and be free from your torment!"

'You underestimated us! We fought for Cocoon and Gran Pulse!" Lightning replied with the same volume and dashed to launch Cid in the air. Fang joined Lightning to juggle Cid in the air, rendering him vulnerable. Vanille and Hope combined their Aerora together as Fang and Lightning lowered to the ground. Cid fell down with a loud 'thump' and stood back shortly.

He stood up quickly and casted some Cure for himself, and proceeded to move into Defensive Shift. Sazh barraged Cid with fire-based bullets and Hope casted his own spells. Vanille used more Deprotect and Deshell, while Fang focused to deal more damage.

"You're merely tools, used to destroy Cocoon!" Cid shouted, casting a barrage of Ruin spells randomly. "You're weak, you can't destroy Cocoon! You better fail the fal'Cies' plan!"

"Are you saying 'tools', Raines?!" a new voice said from afar. A barrage of magical arrows fired from behind Cid, some piercing their target. Another barrage appeared from his left and another followed from his right. He dodge-rolled to the front and turned around, greeted by a harsh smack on his torso.

"What I see of you, you're weak! A weak, pathetic coward! You turned against destiny!" A sword's blade was pointed to his heart.

Behind the shadows, the sword's wielder was Alea.

* * *

I tried to resist the urge to simply thrust my sword into Cid's heart. The boiling anger inside me never subsided.

"You appeared." Cid said. "I did." I replied, slowly walking in circles with him while never leaving his eyes. "Traitor," I spat in fury. I saw from the corner of my eye that Lightning tried to approach us. "Let them be," Fang stopped her from advancing.

"Is that what I am now?" Cid replied and used Metamorphose to sprout white angel wings from his back. "You are a traitor; I knew it ever since I met you. Your scheme was to lead us to destroy Cocoon... Am I right? Or am I not?" I challenged him.

"Right. Now it's my time to destroy you, whether you want it or not!" Cid shouted and flapped his wings, levitating above me. "Seraphic Ray!"

Cid was gathering an attack beam to hit me. Grunting, I shielded myself with my sword and braced for impact. A strange soothing feeling enveloped me.

My Eidolith glowed the brightest gold you can see, and Fairy Bow morphed magically into another weapon with new designs and inscriptions. The hilt and blade of the sword was now an angelic white and the patterns are golden and studded with small green gems. On the hilt was a writing that reads 'Arcus Aquila'.

Marveling at the pattern, I drew the string and crouched down, aiming it at the beams of the Seraphic Ray. My arrow clashed with the beams and sparks fired off the rays that hit my sword. The others quickly moved and casted their own spells at the rays.

Both spells exploded and we were thrown outside the dome. I managed to step on the wall of the Mezzanine and jumped down. Cid laid facedown on the ground, motionless. But then he stood up and fell back, kneeling in front of us. "Well done," he said hoarsely. A bright light filled the room and Cid turned to crystal before us.

"'Lea! We thought we lost you!" Vanille tackled me to the ground, giggling while throwing her arms around my neck. "Hey, watch it!" Snow joined in and the others followed, laughing and smiling joyfully. "Good to see ya again, 'Lea." Fang said, trying to pry Vanille off me.

"Okay, okay, back to business." I said, Vanille releasing me with a giggle. "That bow, where would it come from?" Hope asked, marveling at Arcus Aquila I held. "I dunno. It's Fairy Bow previously." I replied. I turned around to face Cid's crystal. "What in the world?" I said, knocking my fist to the crystal. "He defied his Focus." Lightning said.

Cid's crystal suddenly started to fade when I touched it. The crystal dust floated away and vanished in the darkness. "W-What?" Vanille said in confusion. "Never mind it. We can rest here for a while." Sazh said and sat down. "I'm gettin' too old for this."

Nodding, I dropped my head down sadly. "What's the matter?" Lightning asked beside me. "Guys..." I sighed. "I wanna tell you something. Something I held for a long time."

The others listened to me closely.

"I lied." I huffed. The others widened their eyes in shock. "I'm not from Cocoon. I'm from Gran Pulse." "How come? How can you be here?" Hope asked with wide eyes. "I'm not even Alea. That's not my name. My real name... is Paddra Nsu-Evalia." I sighed, throwing my hands in the air. "I'm a mess."

"I was born one thousand and twenty one years prior to this event. I don't enter repeated crystal stasis. Instead, I felt that I was like... some kind of immortal." "Y-You're from Paddra?" Vanille said. "I thought the seeress said that the city was destroyed by a civil war."

"Indeed. I was her sister." I replied and dismissed Aquila. "I was once a l'Cie. But I lost memories of my Focus all of a sudden and my brand got scorched in the age of eighteen."

"When I'm twenty one years old, a war broke out between Paddra and a nation that feared us. I was about to execute and attack but overpowered. If not because of this, I'll die in their hands." The place my heart was in glowed a soft blue. "Isn't that—" Snow said, pointing at the glow. "Yes. It's the glow you saw when I got blasted by Thanatosian Smile. It heals all kinds of injuries I had at once." I cut him.

"I was _alive _after a spell blasted me. It was the strongest spell you could imagine; a single blast is enough to destroy a nation. Another assault from the same nation broke soon enough, and the same attack was used against me. I was alive after the blast. So I went home straight after the assault was over, and I grabbed a knife to test it." I paused for a while, unsure to continue or not. "I stabbed myself with the knife but careful not to injure the area enveloped with the glow. I withdrew it, and strangely the wound mended itself and I felt nothing as if I never did it."

"So you gained some kind of immortality." Lightning concluded. "Yeah. It seems like I was infused with a new power to crystallize things or people at will and shatter them in no time."

It seems like something snapped within Snow. "Can you free Serah?" he asked eagerly, standing up to face me. His eyes were hopeful.

"Sorry... I cannot. It's the goddess's will." I replied him. His shoulders slumped again. "It's okay, Snow. She'll be free someday." Vanille assured. "Yeah, me and 'Nille here are freed from stasis before all this shit happened." Fang said.

"I can't tell you the rest of my story unless you can bring me to the plains of Gran Pulse." I said with a sad smile. "Just call me Lia." "Okay Li, we've gotta do something to get outta this place." Fang said with a grin on her face. "Let's move."

"What's this place?" Hope asked, a bit scared at the sleeping Berserkers in the room. "It's the Hibernatorium. It's the place where we store the strongest mosters." Vanille explained, walking to his side. "We better sneak through these things. It can summon a Centaurion Blade." I added.

We all ran to the room's end. The Vaults is our next area. "It's got a Berserker." Snow said. "Run to that door." Sazh said, pointing to a locked door in front of us. We all tiptoed across the room and twisted the lock on the door and it opened.

"It's a dead end." I said, walking to the area's end. "It's the Apse."

"It seems like we have to follow Cid's actions." Snow said. "Whaddya mean, 'to follow Cid's actions'?" Fang asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "We've gotta defy our Focus. Even if that means destroying Cocoon." He lifted Serah's tear. "Who goes with me?"

"I do." I said. "Me!" Vanille said, jumping enthusiastically. "Me too," Hope said, stepping forwards. "We all do, hero." Lightning said. Silence filled the area soon enough.

"I don't." Fang broke the silence. "Why wouldn't you?" I neared her. "It means that you'll become a Cie'th, Li." "Cie'th? Why would I? Cid defied his Focus and turned to crystal instead of a Cie'th."

"I better destroy Cocoon than see you all become a Cie'th!" Fang turned around, drawing her lance and aiming it at us. "Go away, get stronger and smash Cocoon outta the sky!" her brand glowed brightly and silver-to-purple runes appeared in the ceiling. More runes shaped like a circle appeared and a shadowed figure broke through the circles, materializing as Bahamut.

Bahamut zoomed past us before flying in front of Fang, appearing in his usual form. He hovered in the air and flexed his blood red talons, roaring. "An Eidolon?!" Fang exclaimed, readying a defensive stance. "What're you doing here? Taking care of a broken l'Cie?!"

"Fang, stop! This is the Sky King Bahamut, be careful!" I yelled at her and backed off the dragon. Vanille walked forwards with Lightning and shielded Fang from a magical blast. "What? Why are you protecting me?!" Fang protested at the others who followed Lightning and Vanille in shielding Fang. "Can't let you be dying on us now, kid." Sazh said.

"Yeah, we'll face Barthandelus together!" Hope said. "Keep your spirits, Fang," I said. "This isn't gonna be an easy path!" Fang just grinned. "Ready when you are!"

Bahamut roared and neared us. "Fang! Saboteur!" Vanille yelled at her friend that followed her in casting debilitating spells on Bahamut. Bahamut performed his Dragon's Claw followed with Whirlwind and Inferno. "Watch out, it's Ignis!" Fang and Snow stood side-by-side and applied Steelguard to defend the others. Hope and Sazh, our Synergists, shared us some defensive spells and I applied Mediguard to myself soon enough after the Synergists' finish their casting.

Bahamut roared and casted his Ignis chained with two Umbral Vises. Vanille and Hope started to work in healing and I joined them. The place where my heart was glowed softly and I shared a Regen with the whole party. "Thanks!" Hope said, casting more spells. I fired more arrows at Bahamut and Fang followed with a chain of Ruin spells.

Hope let out a battle-cry and casted a Firaga. The fire-based spell exploded in front of Bahamut and me casted my own spell, a Waterga. Lightning followed and gathered a Thundaga on her hand. The electricity crackled and some of its bolts even scorched her hand.

Lightning casted the powerful spell at Bahamut, the lightning bolts a bright purple and it was calm, controlled and focused. The shockwaves of the spell hit us, but none of us fell to the ground. Bahamut let out a last roar and he finally yielded, transforming into a mechanical Wyvern.

A set of purple glowing paths appeared in front of us. "A path!" Vanille said happily, casting a Cura to help her friend. "Let's go, guys. I can't wait to see Gran Pulse again." I said and dismissed Arcus.

We all walked across the glowing pathway and found a stranded Pulsian airship on the next platform. "An airship," Vanille said. "I can control it, let me—" Sazh coughed continuously and we all laughed. "That's a Pulse airship, are ya sure?" Fang challenged and Snow slapped Sazh's back, making him cough more.

"That's a gate," I pointed to a glowing gate near the ceiling. "It leads to Gran Pulse."

"It could be one of Dysley's traps." Hope said, following my gaze at the gate. "So that's it? Pulse or bust?" Sazh said, putting his hands on his hips. "We're gonna go to hell." Hope continued. "I'm with you, kid, I'm not gonna go to hell."

"Stop calling Gran Pulse hell, funnyman." Fang said. "It's the prettiest place you can find." Vanille added. "Well it's still hell." Hope said. "Oh is it?" Fang lowered to the boy's eye level. "How many times have you been there?" "None. But I still wanna see it with my own eyes."

"Alright guys, back to business." I chuckled and went inside the airship.

"Off to hell we go," Lightning added to my remark.

* * *

The portal we passed was confusing, with mixes of blue-green rays in a black space. Our airship zoomed out of it, revealing Gran Pulse beneath us.

"Fang, Vanille, we're home!" I exclaimed, staring down to the ground. "You made it!" Vanille said to Sazh, who controlled the airship. A beast with a long body flew past the airship's glass roof. "What is that?" Hope asked, rushing to the window. "Playful little critter isn't he?" Fang said, gazing to the creature. "Well play with someone else." Lightning said with a slight humor in her voice. "Happens all the time." Vanille added.

The creature rounded back to our airship. "He thinks we're lunch." "Cie-food. Cute." "Watch it guys, here it comes!" Hope yelled in time as the creature broke the glass roof. Vanille and Hope went flying, screaming as they were lifted and blown out of the airship.

Fang quickly jumped out. "Lia, help us!" Lightning jumped to follow Fang. "Fun times!"I yelled and followed Lightning. We plummeted down , following Hope and Vanille.

"Are you alright?!" Vanille said loudly amidst the rushing winds. "Oh yeah, I'm great!" Hope replied sarcastically. "Take my hand!" I reached out to Vanille and Hope. Vanille grasped my hand in return. Meanwhile, a cloud of darkness gathered in the sky as Bahamut appeared. "On the count of three!"

"One, two, three!" Bahamut zoomed down to get us. "Hey, over here!" Snow shouted from the falling airship and jumped to Bahamut's back with Sazh.

Bahamut tilted and his right wing touched the water of a lake, before flying upwards and the airship we're previously on plummeted down amidst Gran Pulse's lush vegetation.

"Home sweet home. Welcome to Gran Pulse." Fang said and Bahamut sped off to a safe place.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all readers that are patient waiting this chap, I've revealed Alea partially and she won't be called Alea till the story's end from this point.**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: That would make you Lia's supporter for protecting Lightning. I think it's worth it too, that idea of her as a shield popped in my mind all of a sudden.**

**Whoa, new favorites! Thanks Crystal Louise for liking this story. I've gotta type more for the next chapter, and welcome to Gran Pulse. *Grin* Let's start off with Vallis Media after this chap. I'm gonna make changes to the OC section of my profile when more of Lia's lifetime is revealed. See you soon!**

**~ Crystal**


	14. Chapter 14: The Terra Incognita

**A/N: From this point, the locations visited first are random and does not follow the game's orders (mostly). Anything could happen in Terra Incognita.**

**Thanks to the reviewers that has spared some time to review this fic.**

* * *

It has been a while ever since we escaped the Fifth Ark and step in the green plains of Gran Pulse. We decided to camp for a while in the Vallis Media region.

Lightning has sent Hope and Sazh's chocobo chick to get us some food. We still got the leftover meat and Noctilucale petal, so we told him to simply get coconuts or something. I told the boy that there is a coconut tree by a river in Atzilut's Tears, so off he went that way.

"I like it here, Fang." Vanille said to her older friend who was sitting on a log nearby our base camp. "It's all naturey like Sunleth. Probably you should go there someday." I dragged the pouch we made a few days ago behind me and settled it beside the fire. "Maybe you should get spices, Vanille. I don't like it if the food is plain." I said as I cut the petal into smaller pieces and tossed them to the pot we found moments ago. "Well go get something. I'm busy." The girl replied.

"Fine then," I ran to the narrow pathway and into the Steppe. The air was cold, and I should be more careful unless I want to die here. I found some glowing plants nearby and grabbed them. "Something that emits light. Monsters hate it." I walked further to the silent Steppe. A pair of Amphisbaenas zoomed past me. I went near the cliff around Vallis and spotted some Caldana plants.

I picked a bunch and stuffed it in my waist bag. "Done." When I was about to go back, a shriek sounded and I glanced upwards. It was the former Amphisbaena. "What are you looking at?" I challenged the beast and summoned my weapons. The winged beast swooped down and tried to snap its jaws at me. I casted a Waterga at it and the spell exploded, momentarily blinding it.

I fled from the writhing beast and ran back to the base camp. "I found some Caldana. We could make salt from it." I sat down and removed the plant's leaves and flowers, leaving the root. I took the boiled petals away and tossed the roots inside.

"Where's Hope? He's not showing up." Snow approached us. Chirps sounded from afar and Sazh's panic-stricken chocobo chirped and flied wildly in front of Vanille. "Hm?" the bird continued to chirp in panic and Vanille widened her eyes in shock. "It's Hope!" she exclaimed. "His brand! Something happened to his brand!"

"Let's go find him!" Lightning commanded and we all left the camp to find Hope.

* * *

We found Hope lying unconscious beside a river and a pile of coconuts was nearby. "His brand progressed," Fang said, examining Hope's brand. "But he's fine. Just shocked to see it." Snow immediately carried the boy and I picked the coconuts as much as I can.

"Here, let me help." Fang grabbed some of the coconuts from my hand and carried them back. Our walk back to the camp was annoying as a lot of monsters hindered our path. Lightning, Vanille and Sazh took care of those monsters and we managed to get back unscathed.

Snow laid the unconscious Hope on one of the mattresses we found and sat down. Vanille casted some of her Cure spells to Hope. I noticed that the water in the pot had evaporated completely and there are some salt on the base. I stuffed them into a smaller pouch I made out of an Adroa's hide.

Vanille got back to cooking and grilled the meat over the fire. "Why would he collapse suddenly?" Lightning asked the rest of us while sitting down beside Snow. "Typical. If l'Cie are stressed out, their brands will progress and they'll fall unconscious." Fang replied.

Vanille grabbed all the boiled petals and the cooked Behemoth meat and passed it to the others. I joined the circle and tossed the small pouch to the middle of the circle and ate the food. "What's that?" Sazh asked with a bit of suspicion. "You think I'm gonna poison you, ol' man? That's Caldana salt." I handed it to him. "Oh. I thought it was more food." He said sheepishly and sprinkled a bit on his meat.

"Okay guys, back to business. Does anyone here know how to get rid of this goofy tattoo?" Snow showed his brand to us. "I have only one place in mind; Oerba." Fang said. "It's the northernmost border of Gran Pulse." I added.

"Oerba—the place it all began." Hope is slowly sitting up. "The place where the Pulse fal'Cie lay dreaming. Vanille and Fang's home. Just maybe... it will be the place where we find the answers we're looking for."

_Huh? _I asked myself mentally. _"I sensed that something will happen, master." _Leviathan said from my mind. "Hope?" Lightning gave the teenager a questioning look. "We'll go there together." Snow said. "Leave me here." Hope said sadly. "We won't leave you here! You'll come with us!" Vanille shook the boy's shoulders. "I can't. I'll cause troubles for all of you guys. I'm too weak." He continued.

"I don't want for you to be hurt." I stared at him. "Just leave me here!"

Silver-to-green runes appeared and a tower of light appeared. We all glanced to the skies to see it cloudy and a cannon appeared amidst the clouds. Something rounded is fired and when it landed, shockwaves exploded and a towering figure appeared from the swirling dust.

"Mention ordeals, and look what comes along!" Fang groaned and ran in front of the being—Alexander—and Hope just stared at it in awe. "This is not an ordeal, this is a gift!" Lightning rejected Fang's statement. "Hope, this is the kind of power you've got inside. And it's telling you not to give up. Trust me."

I summoned Arcus Aquila and followed Lightning. "T-That thing came from me?" Hope asked nervously and drew out his boomerang. "Yeah, this is your Eidolon. He said 'I am not here to kill you. I am here to give you a will to live'." I pointed Arcus at Alexander. "You've gotta trust me!"

Alexander started the battle by using Explosive Fist. Fang shielded most of us from the blast while Hope shared us a wide-area Protect spell. He proceeded to cast his chosen set of spells at the massive Eidolon. "Get him!" I yelled at Hope and us casted our Firaga and Waterga together.

Lightning casted some Cure for Hope and he casted his own Cura. I fired a barrage of Enwater-ed arrows and it hit Alexander. Alexander threw a punch to a boulder and the splinters flew in every direction, some scraping my arm. Ignoring the scrapes, I continued to assist Hope in casting magic at the Eidolon. Fang casted a Ruinga at Alexander and he performed his Blast Punch in return.

Hope casted more Cura and magic. His face started to go pale with the casting. He grabbed a Potion he collected back in the _Palamecia _and downed it quickly. "He's too strong!" he exclaimed and casted more spells. Fire, Water, Blizzard, Aero, all shot out randomly.

"It's actually this simple, Hope!" I swept my sword across the ground and sharp, jagged crystals appeared and shattered after hitting Alexander. "You could use some more training, kid!" Fang shouted to Hope from the distance while casting her newly-learned Ravager spells. "You're drained too quickly!" "I know! Just let me concentrate!" Hope replied and renewed the wavering Protect spells. "This is gonna be a long battle!" I added and continued striking Alexander with the crystals.

After a long heck of a battle, Alexander finally yielded to Hope and transformed into an immobile fortress before fading away. "That's some Eidolon you've got, kid." Sazh clasped Hope's shoulder. "Yeah, it was really big!" Vanille added. "Thanks," Hope replied with a bit of shock.

"Let's camp one more night here, shall we?" Fang said as she lay down on her usual sleeping spot. "After then we can go to the Steppe." Vanille giggled and lay down beside Fang, snuggling close to her. "Yep. It'll be a good training spot."

Sazh just shook his head. "These two aren't gonna knock the excitement off." I chuckled and sat down on a log. "I'm gonna take the first watch."

"As you wish, then." Fang replied and sighed. "I missed Oerba." I saw Lightning who was still awake, not lying down. "Can't sleep?" "Nothing. Just Serah." She replied. I raised an eyebrow. "It's not a nothing if you're thinking of Serah."

"I just like... missed her." _Huh? Lightning misses Serah? _I thought in confusion. "Tell me what happened." Lightning took a deep breath. "I drove her out back in my twenty-first birthday. I should've said a 'thank you' to her for giving me a gift." She glanced at Snow. "I just don't approve her to be with Snow. I'm worried for her."

"Your life was a heck lot easier than mine." I chuckled. "We must hunt to get food. If you don't hunt, then you'll starve to death. Your food was made by Carbuncle, what you do is simply eat them without looking for them. And unlike your fal'Cie, Pulse fal'Cie only gave our basic needs and protection. The rest? It's up to you."

"No food, huh?" Lightning said. "So you're a hunter."

"Nope, not only that. I'm a priestess and a hunter. It's a two-in-one." I watched the others. "I thought Vanille said that people of your clan are not hunters." "If they're skilled in hunting, they can be one. But there's a clan where its people are the best hunters in Paddra, so we trusted them to get our food."

"Your pendant, what is it made from?" Lightning asked randomly. "A Moonstone. You can only find one per five centuries." I answered and took the pendant off. "Moonstone?" "A stone that can be charged under the moonlight. Once it's fully charged, the stored energy can be harvested. It's different from a Sunstone. A Sunstone is stronger, but can only be charged under the sunlight. It's rarer; you can only find one per millennia."

"When a Sunstone's energy is harvested, if one is lucky they will get a Solis Aeterna seed. The flower needs a heck lot of time to fully grow, and if fully grown it has healing properties. The same applied to the Moonstone. When you are lucky, you'll get a Luna Radians seed. It has the opposite effect to Solis Aeterna, Luna Radians is destructive." I explained the stones' function to Lightning. "Who bore the Sunstone?" "It's my sister."

Lightning gave me a questioning look. "You've got a sister?" "Yeah. She's the nation's leader. She is the Sunstone's last bearer if I remembered correctly." I replied. "A peasant wouldn't have a rare stone. She must be royalty." "Yeah."

"I'm sleepy." I said as I returned to my usual sleeping spot. "I'll continue the watch. Just rest."

Sighing, I took off my jacket as usual and hugged it, drifting slowly into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sun's rays crept through the cracks and crevasse of the Vallis Media. Stretching, I sat up and put my jacket back on. "We're running out of provisions," Vanille said as she checked the empty pouch. "We should hunt some more in the Steppe."

"That'll be for later. We're gonna train first while getting something to eat." Fang replied, yawning. "Morning already?" Hope groaned, sitting up and stretching. "We're gonna leave as soon as everyone's ready here." I grabbed the smaller pouch and stuffed it inside my waist bag. "Everyone ready?" "Yeah." The others replied sleepily. "What? Not used to rise earlier?" "I'm still sleepy." Snow replied my question. I saw Arcus left in its exact position as last night. I grabbed it and dismissed it.

"Okay guys, we're leaving. Where should we head first?" Sazh questioned while feeding his chocobo chick. "Archylte Steppe. Then we can probably go to Yaschas Massif or Mah'habara Subterra." Lightning left at the group's head and I followed behind her. When we saw the Steppe, the others stared at it in awe, as if they never saw such beautiful landscape.

"This is the Steppe, the wildest area in the whole Pulse." Fang explained. "Yeah, it's got all sorts of creatures and flora. Oerba is still miles away from this place." Vanille added to her friend's statement. We all walked to the middle of the Steppe and spotted some monsters, and a floating blue stone.

"What's this?" Hope asked as he examined the floating stone. "It's a Cie'th Stone. They're scattered all over Gran Pulse. They're the remains of Cie'th, but they're still alive and they needed other l'Cies." I explained. "And they call over and over to l'Cie, 'Complete my Focus'." Fang finished. "We've gotta help out this one then, it'll be a good training for us." Snow said as he touched the stone.

"This Stone wanted us to kill an Ectopudding near the second pond by the Behemoth," I scanned the horizon. "And that's the pond." "We'll kill it." Vanille said as if the Stone can hear her. We all rushed to the pond and saw the Ectopudding. The Flan family flailed its slimy arms at our sight. It was big, blue, semitransparent and of course slimy. "Get ready!" Sazh yelled as the Ectopudding prompted a battle.

Fang casted her Ruin spells and Lightning casted her thunder-based spells at the Flan. It wailed loudly and twisted its arms in a three hundred and sixty degree twirl. The arms slapped me hard and it knocked me back. I landed not-so-gracefully on the ground and hit my head hard. Fighting the dizziness, I stood up again and casted a Cure to me followed with Thundaras for the Flan. Fang had tried to pierce the creature but her lance merely went through it like water.

Sazh casted an Enthunder at Snow, Lightning and Fang before returning to his Thundara spells. The Ectopudding staggered back, trying to spin its arm again but got canceled the last minute as Lightning's gunblade cut its left arm clean off. I kicked the slimy arm away and the creature writhed. The dying arm twitched and slowly materialized into a new, unscathed Ectopudding. "Damn it!" Fang cursed at the second Flan, turning her attention on it. "I forgot Flans reproduce by splitting!"

Fang, Lightning and Sazh took care of the second Ectopudding while I and the rest took care of the former Ectopudding. I casted more thunder-based spells and Hope followed. The former Flan's cut left arm grew back again. "This is endless!" Hope complained and casted more spells. "They can split to countless new Ectopuddings!"

"Keep trying! Maybe we'll find a solution!" I yelled back at Hope and tried to fire arrows at the disgusting thing. The Flan wailed and slapped Hope until he hit the ground beside me. "I'm okay," he winced. "You don't seem okay to me." I casted a Curasa for him. "Thanks." He nodded and worked harder in bringing down the Flan.

Meanwhile, Lightning executed the best move she lately knew; Army of One. Sazh chained it with his own technique named Cold Blood and Fang used her Highwind to split the Ectopudding in half. It wailed in agony as it split into two symmetrical pieces. "Finish it off before it regenerates again!" Lightning said while casting her strongest Thundaga, leaving only slimy goo in its wake. Fang and Sazh chained their Ruinga and Firaga together and the Ectopudding's remaining pieces are left in a crater.

Back to the former Ectopudding, Vanille tried to cast her best newly-learned spells, including Death, on the Ectopudding. Hope has grown desperate at the Flan's attack rate and used a Barwater on himself. After a long battle, I managed to split the thing into two like I did with the Pulsework Knight back in the Ark and Snow along with Vanille finished the remaining two pieces, killing the Flan.

"That was annoying," Vanille groaned, rubbing the sweat on her forehead. "It kept regenerating itself." "That's a lesson. We've gotta finish Flans quickly before they split or fuse into a stronger species." I concluded the battle, dismissing Arcus. In the distance, a mystic aura glowed around the blue Cie'th Stone, indicating that the former Cie'th's soul was freed from his or her torment.

"We've gotta find more of those." Sazh said, putting his guns back in their holsters. "But food must be hunted first. I and Lia here'll get some." Fang moved beside me. "Okay. I missed hunting like this." I replied, chuckling a bit. "Whoa, I thought Nsu clan doesn't hunt?" "Whatever."

"We'll get a safe place. It's startin' to get hot." Sazh added while squinting his eyes at the sun's bright light." The others walked away and when they all are gone, I turned to face Fang. "I challenge you that this'll be a hunting game. Prove who's the better, an Nsu huntress or a Yun huntress." I challenged Fang who gave me a wide grin. "What style do you prefer? Wyvern, Chocobo or on foot?"

"Wyverns. We'll get some Gorgonopsid today." I replied. "Okay priestess, challenge accepted." Fang reached her hand out to shake hands with me. I accepted it and we went our separate ways.

I spotted an Amphisbaena soon enough. It was hiding from the sun beneath a tree. _I thought Wyverns prefer to be airborne? _I raised an eyebrow at the Amphisbaena. I reached inside my waist bag and took out a whip I retrieved from the ruins in Vallis. I tied one of its ends and swung it around like a lasso rope and it got hooked on the Amphisbaena's neck. It shrieked and thrashed but I pulled at the whip roughly and the creature fell down.

I neared it and took out my dagger before embedding it horizontally across its neck. The creature winced but it didn't thrash again. I untied the whip and stuffed it back in my waist bag and I sat on its back. The Amphisbaena flapped its wings and I flew lowly along the Central Expanse.

I spotted a pack of Gorgonopsids near the first lake, and I casted a Blizzara. The ice-based spell exploded and throwing shards of ice everywhere. Three of them fled and I rounded back on the remaining two. I casted another Blizzara and the two Gorgonopsids fell back, dead. I dismounted the Amphisbaena and grabbed the dagger. It flew away desperately.

I collected some of the meat and stuffed it in the pouch I brought. I cut off its fangs and washed them clean of blood with a water spell. I pocketed the fangs and stuffed the pouch back. Sounds of flapping are heard near me and when I saw it, it was Fang riding an Amphisbaena. "Got some luck?" "Yeah, I've got some meat here."

"I don't get a Gorgonopsid. I got an Amam." Fang said, putting her hands on her hips. "We'll go find the others." I mounted the Amphisbaena and took off into the skies with Fang. "You better take that Amam's fangs. No pun intended," "Why?" "They're better than those of Gorgonopsids. I took their fangs, better get something rather than miss it. Besides, I liked to collect animal remains."

"There they are," Fang pointed to a small group of people in front of a small cave. "They got a perfect base camp." Fang lowered the Amphisbaena and dismounted it, withdrawing her lance from its neck. "Fang! You got something?" Vanille rushed out to greet Fang. "Yep, some Gorgonopsid and Amam meat." "An Amam? Seriously?" "What do you mean?" Vanille just giggled. "Don't you remember your hunting classes? We can't eat Amam meat, the poison in it was too strong for a human to eat." I laughed at Vanille's words while Fang's shoulders slumped. "I worked hard to find one." She said and walked away, apparently tossing away the meat to be eaten by other animals.

I handed the pouch I had to Vanille along with the smaller one I made to store the Caldana salt. "We'll eat and then leave our provisions here. We'll go training again, no time for a nap." Lightning said seriously. "If we wanna win against Barthandelus, we've gotta be stronger than we are now." Snow added. Sazh just hummed and Hope nodded. "We're running low on Potions. We only have three left. Did anyone here have an Elixir?" I asked the others as I checked the provisions tucked behind a boulder inside the cave. "No one," Sazh replied from outside.

"So we're unlucky. I feared that anyone here will run low on magic in the middle of a fight." I returned to see the others again. Vanille passed the cooked meat and salt to everyone as usual and we ate together. "This is the most delicious thing I've eaten so far." Sazh said while chewing on his share. "Gran Pulse's got a heck lot of things to eat; even the things you thought are unusual." I said.

"Oh, like the Noctilucale petal?" Hope said from the distance. "Yeah. They're good."

After everyone is done eating, Snow stored the meat in the cave and we all left to train. We passed another stone in the way, and we decided not to use it because it was a golden stone. Some Zirnitras zoomed past us and pair of Behemoth Kings is fighting in the distance. "I wish we could travel faster than on foot. I'm tired, my legs are all stiff." Sazh grumbled on our way back to the camp.

Dusk arrived faster than we thought it would. Moonlight shone across the lush green plains, illuminating the waters. Howling sounded in the distance, a sign that soon stronger monsters would roam the wilds. "It's scary here." Hope said as we passed by some ruins of a nomadic camp. "It's way scarier in Paddra at night." I replied him while continuing walking.

Finally, we arrived at the camp and it was late at night, approximately eight o'clock. We only met some group of Dire Flans and Uridimmus along the way, so today's training wasn't uneventful. "We could train somewhere, but we could get here anytime." I said before lying down on my usual sleeping spot. "To the Yaschas Massif. It's the southernmost border of Gran Pulse." Vanille said. "It requires a heck lot of hiking, ol' man." Fang said teasingly to Sazh who grumbled under his breath.

"She's right; Yaschas is a mountain terrain. It's not far from here." I added. Snow and Lightning took the first watch, they're outside the cave. It looks like they're discussing about something. _Probably Serah, _I thought. _They must be missing her._

Sighing, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

The first disturbance I heard tonight was sounds of bellowing outside. I saw it, a Kaiser Behemoth heading to our camp. "Guys, wake up! There's a Kaiser Behemoth outside!" I yelled and the others jolted awake, including Lightning that has fallen asleep in her watch.

I picked Arcus and headed outside. The others followed me quickly and when they spotted the Behemoth, they backed off immediately. "That's one hell of a Behemoth!" Sazh yelled in panic and stepped sideways to dodge a swipe.

"Larger monsters mean more food. We're gonna kill it for its meat until tomorrow." Fang said, readying her lance beside her. The Behemoth roared and rushed forward to bite Snow, but luckily he managed to escape it with a small gash on his left arm. Vanille casted her debilitating spells and Fang followed in as well, casting Slow and Curse at it.

The Behemoth staggered back and swiped at Lightning, shoving her to the ground. I fired arrows at it and the beast turned its attention to me. It rushed to launch me in the air but I dodged its Heave and slashed at its neck in return. The blade cut rather deep into its flesh. Sazh fired rapidly at it and one of the bullets struck its eye and blinding the Behemoth.

Hope used his newly-learned Thundaga and the bolts electrocuted the Behemoth successfully. Fang moved in to launch it and Lightning leaped to join in as well. Vanille casted more of her wind-based spells and the creature fell down. I launched it again and casted a Waterga to it and Snow smite it to the ground. It stopped moving and its eyes rolled backwards, dead.

Vanille dropped to her knees and wheezed. "That was disturbing me." She complained. Lightning helped Fang to collect its meat and I stared to the horizon. Dawn has come and it means that we have to move to Yaschas Massif to train there.

"What's happening there?" Sazh motioned to a pack of Gorgonopsids chasing a chocobo. I saw more and more packs of it coming from every direction, chasing after things they could eat. "They're starved." Vanille stated but I shook my head no. "They're more active. Usually beasts like that won't hunt in the Steppe early right after dawn has risen."

"Are they poisoned?" Snow asked beside me, watching a Gorgonopsid pouncing at a small Flan. "Could be. They're rabid." Fang answered after stuffing the meat in the pouch. "This would mean good training." Snow grinned as he collided his fists together. "No way. They're too agile; three poisoned Gorgonopsids can easily kill all of us." I rejected.

"When will we go to Yaschas?" Lightning said, putting her hands on her hips. "As soon as possible. I don't want us to get there when it was already dark. There are a lot of monsters prowling the night in there." I said. "Okay, so we move now. Have you got all the provisions, 'Nille?" "Check."

We all walked to Yaschas. The mountain area was long ways from our camp. We spotted more and more of those rabid Gorgonopsids. They are pouncing on everything; Flans, Chocobos, even Triffids. One appeared out of nowhere and it swatted Hope against the rock wall nearby. "Are you alright?" Vanille asked worriedly to her companion, who winced a little. "I'm okay. It seems like Lia's right; they're stronger in this condition." Hope replied.

"Done with the asking, hero?" I asked with a bit of mocking at the said hero. "Uh... Yeah." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Is this Yaschas?" Sazh asked after walking for about an hour. "Yep. Need a heck lot of energy to get to the top." I replied him teasingly. "But I'm not as young as you kids!" he protested, flailing his arms in panic. "Who says? I'm older than you but how come can I climb it in less than a day?" I challenged Sazh. He grumbled something under his breath, seemingly losing the argument. We walked across the Deepgap. The cliffs are filled with numerous vegetation, even some flowers. "This is so beautiful." Hope said and approached a large red flower with white ends and a sunny yellow center. I noticed a bit of movement.

"Hope, don't touch it!" I noticed him a second too late as the 'flower' rose and let out a shrilling shriek. "You can't touch things as you like here, they might be booby traps! Like this one! This is a Triffid, not a flower!" I scolded him and readied a stance. I rushed to stab its center immediately and it fell down the cliff limply. "Sorry Li, I don't mean to." He said apologetically.

"Fine," I shrugged and continued across the Ascendant Scarp. Svarogs hovered above us freely and a Behemoth King was chasing a pair of Triffids around. I saw a gigantic Flan in front of the log bridge we crossed earlier. "Shit, a Hybrid Flora." Fang groaned at the slimy Flan. Vanille cringed at it with disgust.

"Sneak," Lightning ordered and we sneaked past the Flan. "Where's Paddra?" Snow asked. I looked around and spotted a junction. "This way."

I sprinted to the junction with the others following behind me. Some Munchkins are in front of us with their Maestro. "Get ready!" We all readied a stance at the pack. The Maestro used its Goblinhancement for its Munchkin companions. Fang rushed to jab one Munchkin with her lance and killed it in no time. A Munchkin aimed a Goblin Punch at Vanille who dodged it with her rod. "Morons!" I mocked the creatures as if they could understand me and I met head-to-head with the Maestro.

It let out a screech and aimed a punch at me. Its solid spiky fist hit me on my torso and the punch threw me against the stone wall surrounding us. Hope rushed to me and pressed his palm to my bruised torso with a Curasa already enlaced within it.

"Thanks." I thanked his and with a battle-cry, I summoned jagged debris of crystal and shattered it. I tossed them upwards and the sharp shards rained, hitting the Munchkins and the Maestro as they all let out a screech of pain. Lightning fired bullets to kill the Maestro and Fang joined in with her Highwind. Snow punched the last Munchkin and it died.

"I told you there'll be a hell lot of monsters in Yaschas." I grumbled and walked pass the others through the Pass of Paddra. I found Paddra in a state of ruin and it was crowded with Cie'th. The remnants of the last buildings are occupied by monsters or the Cie'th. Vanille gasped at the sight and turned around to face me. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm not surprised to see it in this state. Just like the seeress envisioned it." I walked down the stone steps and into the front plaza. A lot of Nelapsis hovered past us. "Where's your house?" Snow asked as he examined a pillar near a broken lamp post. "Unlike the other residents of Gran Pulse that claimed all buildings as their house, Paddrans' houses are separate with each other. That means not everything is my home, like in Oerba." I explained. "It's hidden somewhere safe."

"And what place is that?" Lightning questioned with an arched eyebrow. I looked around and find a set of stairs by a fallen pillar. "This way." We sneaked past Cie'th and I rushed up the steps to the higher plains of the city. I found a wall of vines and I reached inside. "If I'm right, it's here the last time I left it."

I stepped past the wall and found my house in its best shape, though rusty, a bit wrecked and the front lawn was messy. "You live here?" Sazh said, looking around. "I used to be." I replied him and tried to open the door. "It's locked. Damn, I forgot that I locked this door before I left to the war." I banged the wooden door. "Then we break through." Snow said and positioned his foot at the door. He drew it back and kicked the door, collapsing it and dust flew around.

Inside was a real mess. Papers, dried blood and feathers are all around. "What's with the feathers?" Hope asked and picked up a speckled white feather, examining it. "I used to wear them as an accessory." I replied him and examined all the papers. The books I wrote are scattered all around and dusty. "Can we read this?" Fang picked one up and examined it. "Sure. They might be aged, but the person I told to make the papers I use always sprinkled some gold dust to strengthen the paper so it would not turn to dust if not opened in a really long time. So don't be surprised that the papers have gold tints."

"We can camp here." Vanile said as she settled the meat pouch and the three remaining Potions on the desk nearby. "Yeah, good way to rest after a day's hike." Sazh added. "Where does this door go? It doesn't have a key hole anyway." Hope said while standing beside a carved wooden door. "Hm? That heads to the altar. I used to go there every day to pray."

I took off my Moonstone pendant and pressed on a hollow space on the door. The door clicked and it opened, revealing that the altar is still in good shape though some of the marbles are broken. A single, potted golden lily sat on the window beneath the sunlight. Old candles are placed on the altar near a small pool with silver tiles.

"The Solis Aeterna," I approached the lily and examined it. "I don't remember putting it here." "What is a Solis Aeterna?" Hope asked and too, examined the flower. "A flower birthed from the Sunstone's power. It has healing properties once fully grown, and that needs a long time."

Hope hummed and touched the flower's delicate petal. It glowed a soft gold and the glow vanished within seconds. "That means the flower is healing you." I smiled softly at him. "And what about this pool?" he motioned to the small pool surrounded with sage-colored candles.

"My sister used to keep fish in there to keep her company." I swished my fore finger in the water. "She was always alone to prevent anyone from manipulating her to use her powers."

"What kind of power?" "Eyes of Etro. It enables her to see visions of the future. It killed her so many times but she was always reborn." Hope sighed. "I've gotta see the others. Light would want us to train again in no time. At least Sazh could rest for a while." He left the room and shut the door gently behind him. I stared at Solis Aeterna.

_The golden flower blessed by the sun goddess to all of us, Solis Aeterna is given from the Eternal Sun to mankind. The silver flower, Luna Radians was given by the Glowing Moon to us, from the moon goddess. Solis was a healer, and Luna was a destroyer._

_In one time the flowers will bring prosperity, and in times, destruction—to mankind. This was confirmed by the high priests of Paddra, proven that Luna was stolen by an opposing nation to backfire Solis's benefits at Paddra and destroy the nation._

I opened my eyes again at the memory. Some said that they witnessed the opposing nation's people giving Luna Radians to a mysterious shadowed being.

Could it be...?

* * *

**A/N: Long chap, yes. Oh, if you don't get the thing about the two stones', they're technically the same Key Item in Chrono Trigger, and I mentioned that both were different to contrast this fic with the real Chrono Trigger's storyline.**

**Solis Aeterna was a Latin to 'Eternal Sun', and Luna Radians was a Latin to 'Glowing Moon'. But I translated Radians more to 'Radiance' rather than 'Glowing'.**

**Oh, as for the Caldana plant I mentioned earlier in this chap, I envisioned it from my own imagination 'cause XIII or XIII-2 didn't show the plant. The Caldana root is mentioned in Brain Blast quiz, 'The Caldana root of the Steppe is an invaluable plant for what reason?' and the answer was 'It has salt that can be extracted'.**

**The next chap will be about the party's quest in Yaschas Massif.**

**~ Crystal**


	15. Chapter 15: Quest for Strength

**A/N: OMG, nine hundred views! Thanks to all you lovely readers out there!**

**I'll always say thanks for anyone who liked, reviewed and followed this story. You guys are helping me so much in getting new inspirations.**

**Oh, about the new story that I'll post as a replacement for Final Fantasy XIII-2 Truth or Dare, it's not ready yet. I tried to brainstorm to find a new inspiration, but I failed and instead I've decided to continue this story. Oh, for the love of Etro, give my brain new ideas please! *bangs head on the table, and then giggles madly***

**Maybe I went overboard after being serious lately?**

* * *

We all gathered in the front lawn at midday and discussed about training; either in Yaschas due to monster abundance but with less safety guarantee, or the Mah'habara Subterra due to weaker mechanical monsters but with rarer encounter.

"I personally prefer Yaschas," Vanille said to Lightning. "It's near the camp and we can get here quickly if anyone's injured." The others hesitated for a while. "Better be in Mah'habara, we can get to the next area quicker." Snow said the opposite.

"Really? We can't camp in Mah'habara, you've gotta go through that place in _one _walk!" Fang retorted. Snow was about to open his mouth again when she cut him, "What, you wanna go sleep underground?" "Guys, guys, that's it! We can't clear the whole heck of Gran Pulse if we quarreled like this _every five seconds_!" I yelled at the two arguing people.

"Guys, I've got a solution." Hope raised his hand like a student. "Why don't we go clear Yaschas, get back here and camp for some more night until the area was cleared and then start our journey through Mah'habara Subterra?" Lightning nodded at his suggestion. "Good suggestion." She said, packing the Potions inside into her storage pack. "We go clear Yaschas now."

Fang cursed under her breath and Snow did the same. That stopped the argument.

Snow threw his arms in the air in defeat. Vanille just giggled and skipped ahead to follow me and Lightning in the group's head. We spotted a Cie'th stone floating near the Front Plaza and Sazh quickly activated it. The stone prompted us to kill a Cie'th, Bituitus.

"Sounds like an Undying." Fang said, examining the writings flashing in front of the stone. "What's an Undying?" Hope asked with a bit of fear. "It's the Cie'th who held a grudge against the fal'Cie that branded them." Vanille explained. "Those are tougher to defeat."

"That'll be a good method." Said Lightning. "No worries, we'll finish that Cie'th off for ya!" Snow assured the stone and we all left to find this Bituitus. Swooshing voices sounded above us.

"It's Bituitus!" I exclaimed and readied a battle stance. Bituitus flexed his head and flapped his wings harder. "We've gotta free him!" Fang said, drawing her lance. Bituitus began the battle by blowing a Miasma at all of us. We all coughed uncontrollably at the dark mist that we inhaled. I tried to spit the Poison out but instead I spat blood out. It was dark in color and smelled funny.

Vanille, Hope and Lightning acted quickly by sharing an Esuna with all of us. "Vanille, Hope, hold this! I don't want you Medics to be poisoned!" I tossed each of them a Star Pendant I found from the Kaiser Behemoth's carcass yesterday. "Thanks!" Vanille looped the pendant on her wrist and continued casting random spells at the Cie'th.

Snow was about to throw a punch at the Cie'th but Bituitus evaded the blow and casted Levinbolt in return. He delivered a kick to Fang and a slap with his wings to me. He breathed Miasma again but this time, I was frozen in place and so do the others. "I can't move!" Hope thrashed against the Daze spell but it was too strong. I tried to break free but ended the same like the others.

"We've got no choice but to wait for it to wane!" Vanille yelled as she struggled to break free from the spell. Bituitus charged a wide-area Levinbolt and aimed most of the bolts at Lightning. _Damn it, if Levinbolt struck her fully, she'll be as good as dead! _I thought in a panicked manner while thrashing to break free from the Daze.

Vanille let out a scream as the lightning bolts struck us together. I saw Lightning gritting her teeth while trying to resist the electric shocks conducting farther into her. I felt a jolt of pain as the bolts struck me down to the ground. "Damn it Bituitus!" Fang cursed at the Undying who hovered and stopped casting his Levinbolt. Hope almost sighed in relief but then Bituitus resumed torturing us by charging a new and even stronger Levinbolt and casted it at us.

"Gaah!" Lightning yelled in fury and pain at the Undying that renewed the Miasma, this time Poison doubled with Daze. But strangely I don't inhale the mist and I felt that the Daze pinning me starting to wane. The spell waned completely and I broke free from its grasp.

With a battle-cry, I rushed to the Undying and I stabbed the red eye in the middle of his chest. Bituitus wailed loudly and collapsed to the ground. The others were about to cheer as the Daze pinning them waned completely but ended gawking at Bituitus as he rose again to life. We all readied a stance but Bituitus only stared back at us. He wailed loudly and retreated to an altar surrounded with small objects resembling a Waystone and he kept himself in a glowing crystal cocoon.

Hope has fallen unconscious and the others had bruises and scorch marks all over their bodies. I collapsed to the ground as soon I dismissed Arcus and hit my head hard to the solid pavement.

"We win," Snow said while throwing his fist weakly in the air, lying down on the ground. Fang chuckled and mouthed a 'Yeah', crawling on her knees to grab her fallen lance some feet away from her. Sazh laughed weakly and the chocobo chick popped out from his afro, chirping in panic and started to peck his nose to make sure that he is awake.

"Hey, look here. Hope's fainted." Vanille motioned to the unconscious Hope. "Poor kid must be hurt." Sazh added. She then casted some Curasa at her friend to awaken him.

True enough, Hope's eyes soon fluttered awake and he let out an inaudible gasp. "What... happened?" he groaned and tried to grab his boomerang. "You fainted... after the second Levinbolt." I chuckled bitterly. "Damn Cie'th's torturing us."

Then I started giggling madly. "Ahahahahah, he sure does have a way to torture us." I continued to giggle. "What's the matter with her?" Snow asked with a raised eyebrow to Sazh. "Dunno. She's been like that since we got to hell." "Are you calling Gran Pulse hell again, funnyman?" Fang threatened him with her lance. "I'm gonna make sure you regret it."

"No thanks." He replied and we all laughed at it. I stood up and casted a Regen for all of us. The healing spell removed us from our poisoned and dazed state completely and it started to heal the bruises and scorches. "Wait, what happened?" Snow asked in confusion. "I think it's the Poison spell. It's been manipulating our minds." Vanille explained.

"Hey Lia, hadn't you just giggled madly?" she asked me with curiosity. "I don't do anything." I replied her. Vanille's right, I thought I did something lately, but how can I forget it so quickly? Maybe... It's the first Miasma's mist I inhaled?

"Ahh, forget it." I threw my hands in the air. "We should go move on." The others nodded and followed Lightning and me to navigate around Yaschas. We found a blue Cie'th Stone nearby and I touched it. "Not good," I said. "No way that we must to kill _four_ Adroas and _two _Verdelets." "'Ey, don't let your spirits down. They're gonna be a good method. Okay Stone, we're gonna finish 'em for ya." Fang said as she accepted the mission given by the stone. My jaw dropped slack.

We all followed Fang in hiking the steep cliff. Svarogs zoomed past overhead, and a Hybrid Flora was too busy handling the pack of Alraunes trying to consume it. The Hybrid Flora turned around and wailed, prompting a battle. "Here!" Hope gave me a Barwater along with Lightning and Fang. "Thank you." I replied him and dashed to stab the Flan's slimy body.

My sword merely went through its body like all Flans did; the creature turned its attention and its hand slapped Arcus from my grasp. The sword went flying through the air and I jumped to the cliff's edge to get it. I was dangerously on the cliff's edge when the Hybrid Flora planned its next move. It was about to slap me off the edge but a blurred figure shoved me roughly from the way. I realized that it was Lightning, who desperately tried to dodge the gigantic arm of the Flan.

"Lightning, don't!" Snow yelled at the soldier and tried to drag her back to a safe-zone. Unfortunately, before he managed to do so Lightning slipped off the cliff's edge and dangled on a nearby plant's roots. Grunting, Lightning tried to push herself back up. The Hybrid Flora casted a powerful Waterga her way to make her fall down. Realizing the situation, I rushed the spells way and with a battle-cry, I deflected the spell and it hit the Flan like a shuttlecock.

It wailed loudly and I reached my hand to Lightning and pulled her back up and we rushed the Flan's way. "Close call." Lightning sighed in relief and fired bullets to the Flan. Fang bombarded it from behind with her Fog and Daze spells. The Hybrid Flora froze in its place and it let out deafening wails while struggling to break free from the spell. "It's payback time!" I yelled at the Flan. I rushed to it and rammed the hilt of my sword roughly to its abdomen, Snow and the others following me in pushing the Flan off the cliff.

I went back a few steps and dashed again to ram the hilt rougher than before. It let out a final wail before plummeting down to its death, hitting the cliff's base with a loud _splat_.

"Disgusting stuff," Sazh grimaced at the thing's goo that flowed from its torn body from the cliff's top. Hope winced at the sight and pocketed his boomerang. "Believe it or not, ol' man, they're actually edible." I added jokingly. "What the hell? No way that I would eat a thing that's as slimy as a Flan."

"We've gotta find the mark." Vanille suggested and we all moved farther into Yaschas's mountaintop. "'Ey, nice view from up here." Fang said while putting her hands on her hips. The scenery from Yaschas's peak was beautiful, one sight to gawk at. It was still lush green with Svarogs flying above. "You could get used to a view like this." I added.

Hope spotted more red flowers like he saw earlier today. "Guys, I kinda doubt that it's a real flower." He motioned to the large red flowers crowded together. I inspected the flower and kneeled to touch it. "Nope. This is the real thing, not those stupid Triffids." He sighed in relief. "Good. I thought that they'll pop out all of a sudden." Loud screeches sounded nearby. "W-What's that?" Vanille walked closer to her older friend in fear.

"That's our mark." Lightning motioned to a large horde of Adroas and Verdelets. "Get ready guys, this is gonna be a long battle." I readied Arcus beside me. "It's not gonna be long, they're just little monsters." Snow said in his usual easy-going manners. "Nope. Lia's right, you can't think that those creatures are easy to defeat." Fang said. "Why?"

"Because," I started to approach the horde. "They use third tier l'Cie magic and they can summon allies." Hope's eyes widened. "What kind of ally?" "Uridimmu."

"That means they're a hard thing to defeat." Vanille concluded. "Even some l'Cie can't face them alone or without summoning their Eidolons."

* * *

"Damn all those overzealous things!"

Fang cursed as two Verdelets managed to gang up on her. She swatted one of them away with her lance but the remaining Verdelet chased her around, all the way screeching loudly.

"See, Snow?!" I yelled to the man who punched an Adroa away. "I already believed you!" he yelled back and casted his Blizzaga at the pair of Adroas chasing him. One of the two Verdelets casted a chain of Thundaga and Waterga at us and sending Vanille, Hope and me flying in the air after the water cyclone hit us. I saw one Verdelet crouching in the ground, rings of gold light around it. "Watch out guys, it's gonna summon an ally!" I yelled at the others and I charged at the summoning Verdelet.

I was unfortunately a second too late.

An Uridimmu leaped from within the golden rings and it tackled me to the ground. It was snapping its maws at me and my hands clamped its maws shut though some of the saliva dripped to me. "Get... off!" yelled at the creature and it swiped one of its clawed paws to my face and a gash formed on my left cheek. I twisted my hands sideways and the creature's neck snapped with a crack.

I kicked its corpse away and it fell down the cliff nearby. I pressed a Cura to my left cheek and the gash was sealed completely. I saw Vanille being chased down by yet another Uridimmu summoned by the other Verdelet. Lightning stabbed the former Verdelet and it dropped dead to the ground, no longer moving. I saw Fang jabbing an Adroa with her lance and then chased the remaining two. The small avian was an agile creature and it evaded a blow from her every time Fang tried to get it.

I rushed to the pair of Adroas Fang chased and I fired an arrow that killed one of them instantly. Hope, Sazh and Vanille are having a hard time in bringing down the Uridimmu. The Adroa staggered back a few steps when a Thunder spell from Lightning hit it in a matter of seconds. Snow launched the creature in the air and Lightning joined in to kill it.

The Uridimmu, however, had its jagged claws tearing through Vanille's midriff. She screamed in pain and Hope quickly rushed to heal her. Fang was erupting at the Uridimmu and she rushed to the wolf-like beast and jabbed it repeatedly. It died instantly.

Lightning impaled the last Adroa and it dropped limp to the ground. "Finally," Sazh said at the others in relief. "'Nille, ya okay?" Fang asked worriedly to her younger friend. "I'm okay now, thanks to Hope." She gave the teenager a grateful smile. "Uh... Thanks," he replied sheepishly.

I saw the sunset in the distance, meaning that stronger creatures will pop out. "Beautiful," Snow marveled at the sunset. "Yaschas is known for its best view of sunset and sunrise..." I muttered. _...Like Bodhum. _I finished mentally. "Hey Li, something in your mind?" Vanille asked, settling down beside me. "The sunset reminded me of Bodhum." I replied and casted my eyes away to the cliff's base beneath. "It's okay," she assured. "At least you've gotten home."

"Yeah. I wish there were more people here." I said sadly. "What I loved more than anything in Paddra besides the seeress was the trading season's festival. Your village used to trade your special sunny yellow dye for Paddra's ethereal green dye." I said randomly. "Oh, right, the trading season. I used to collect flowers and sell them to people when I was a kid." Vanille said.

"What're these two doing?" Snow motioned to me and Vanille. "They're remembering their past. Nothing too serious." Fang replied.

I looked at Vanille and I saw her staring down... guiltily?

I decided to snap my fingers in front of her face. "Hey, get back here." Vanille snapped back and forced a fake smile. "Nothing." She said. "I kinda doubt it's nothing," I replied. "But whatever. At least you started to remember parts of your past." Vanile nodded sadly.

_Doubts. Is that what Lia is having towards me? She knew everything._

_Every single thing I tried to cover. I am a liar. She doesn't buy my words easily. Even if I forced a fake smile to cover up the lie._

_Is it true that she remembered every single detail of her past life? Is it?_

* * *

Darkness crept over the horizon quickly. We were making our way back to my house when a wail sounded. Make that several wails.

"What's that?" Hope asked, a bit scared. "Cie'th. Nothing to concern now, we've gotta head back to my house as soon as possible." I replied. I found some glowing bioluminescent plants nearby and I picked one. "What's that for?" Snow asked with an arched eyebrow. "To avoid encounters. You've gotta have some object that emits light when traversing Yaschas at nighttime." Fang explained. She then grabbed two flowers and gave one of them to Vanille.

"It's creepy here." Hope added to his previous statement. "Told ya." I snickered at the scared teenager. A shrilling shriek sounded from above, and we all snapped our heads towards the source and spotted a Svarog. "Oh, great." Sazh groanedand drew out his guns. "I'll collapse as soon as we got back to our base camp." We all readied a stance. The Svarog swooped down in a three hundred and sixty degree spin.

The move knocked us back a few feet away. A ball of dark green magic appeared on the tip of its beak and it was shot to me. The magic exploded and I felt something is taken away from me. I tried to prove this by casting magic, but none came out of my hand. Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I leaped to slash the Svarog's abdomen but it evaded the blow. Lightning quickly casted an Esuna to me and I felt my lost magic returning to myself.

Sazh casted his newly-learned Aeroga at the winged beast and Fang joined in with her Ruinga. Lightning casted her own thunder-based spells and Vanille her fire-based spells. Hope tossed his Enfire-ed boomerang at the Svarog and it let out a furious roar and turned around to face us with its smaller head beneath its tail.

"Watch out!" Fang moved in front of us with Snow and applied Steelguard on herself. Snow applied a Mediguard and went into a defensive stance. The Svarog rammed its beak straight to Fang's midriff and bit Snow's torso, causing both of them to cry out in pain and collapse to the ground. Its jagged teeth had pierced Snow's torso and he let out a hiss, trying to suppress the searing pain. "F-Fang! Are you okay?" Vanille rushed to her fallen friend's side and tried her best to cast a Curaga to Fang's broken ribs.

"I-I'm fine," Fang hissed. "Just that my ribs are broken." She finished. Hope on the other hand, was rushing worriedly to Snow and tried to cast his best Curaga at the wound. "I'll show you!" Lightning ran in front of the Svarog while charging a powerful Thundaga. The spell was casted at the Svarog and it roared half in fear and half in pain at the bolts. It flapped its wings in a panicked manner and flew away desperately from us.

"Snow? Wake up!" Hope cried out, catching our attention. "What's the matter with him?" Fang approached the two and winced a bit at her steps. "The Svarog bit him. I think he's poisoned." Vanille examined the wound, which was still bleeding. "I tried to use Esuna, but the poison won't go away. Any suggestions, guys?"

"Hey, Vanille," I called out to the Pulsian. "Do you remember the herb which has a dark blue flower with light green leaves?"

"The one that's extremely bitter?" Vanille cocked her head to the side. "I think I do. But they're only found in Vallis Media..." the others groaned in annoyance. "We've gotta get them or he'll die out of the strong poison. Who comes with me?" I offered to the others with a raised hand. "Me," Hope said. "Me too." Lightning added. "Get him to the camp, we'll return as soon as possible." She continued and holstered her gunblade.

Sazh propped Snow's left arm on his shoulder and Fang his right. Then the rest walked back to Paddra while dragging Snow on his feet. "Be careful!" Vanille waved to us and left, but not before picking some of those flowers that glowed a bioluminescent green.

"How come can we get to Vallis quickly?" Hope scratched the back of his head. "Wyverns, but I'm not sure that one will come soon enough." I replied, staring at the dark horizon. The faint glow of moonlight bathed the Ascendant Scarp and the Yaschas Peak. "Then we wait. I doubt that the others will get safely to camp without encountering creatures or Cie'th." Lightning said while putting her hands on her hips.

"Yaschas is dark enough to scare me outta my wits." Hope said pathetically. "It's darker when an eclipse occurred. It's usually solar eclipse, and it strangely lasted longer than lunar ones." I said.

A shrilling shriek sounded soon enough and we all looked upwards at a Svarog approaching us. "Watch this." Lightning said confidently and charged a Thundaga in her hand. The spell crackled and shined brightly, causing us to squint our eyes. The Svarog was about to use its Feeding Stoop on us when the Thundaga shot straight to its head.

A divine Thundaga spell illuminated the night sky, making it temporarily look like the dawn has risen. The Svarog shrieked in pain and tried to flee but it moved a second too late before I pinned it to the ground. "Ouch, Light, you've gotta be kidding me..." I mumbled and mounted the Svarog. "That. Was. Huge." Hope said in awe at the remaining lightning bolts in the sky. The sky darkened to its former state again as we soared into the night sky, straight to Vallis Media.

* * *

A bright purplish hue illuminated the night sky and temporarily causing the sky to become like dawn had risen in the whole Gran Pulse.

Fang gaped at the divine Thundaga, causing her jaw to drop slack. "What the hell is that?!" she yelled, rounding back to the Front Plaza. "I don't know! Must be Light!" Vanille yelled back at her friend while covering her ears. True enough; the sound was loud enough to attract the attention of three Nelapsi towards the light.

And maybe... the whole Gran Pulse heard it.

"Enough, kids! We've gotta get the hero back to the camp!" Sazh yelled and flailed his arms in panic, almost dropping Snow straight to the pavement. "As you say, dad." Vanille giggled while keeping her rod ready. "I'm not that old." He grumbled and continued to walk through the dark city.

"Yes you are." Fang said teasingly and went up the stone steps. "You're older than me anyway." He retorted. "I'm still twenty-one, _ol' man_." She grumbled and opened the door to Lia's house. Sure, it was dark and there are no candles around. "Do we have any candle?" Vanille wondered and walked to the carved wooden door. "I think Hope and Lia went inside today. It must be unlocked." Sazh said. Vanille pushed the door and it opened.

The room inside was simply an altar made from marble with wilted plants near it. The moonlight was pouring through the single window inside and shone to the altar like a spotlight. Vanille found a single, potted golden flower near the window beneath the moonlight and furrowed her eyebrows. _Why hasn't this flower wilted yet? _She tilted her head to the side. She touched its delicate petals and the flower glowed a golden light. The light crept up her arms and the scratches on it were healed.

She touched where a gash was previously were and felt that it was _healed _completely. She looked around and found some sage-colored candles near a small pool with silver tiles. Vanille smiled widely and took four, before carrying them back to the living room. She stopped midway and frowned at the flower. But she shrugged a shoulder anyway and shut the door gently behind her.

_Something's strange..._

* * *

"Hey, are we still long ways from Vallis?" Hope asked. "Yeah. But it'll be faster this way." I replied and steered the Svarog to the left. It let out a low growl.

"There it is." Lightning motioned to a crevasse. I knew it was Vallis Media. The Svarog landed smoothly to the ground but when it was about to flee, I took out the whip I used yesterday and I looped it loosely around the Svarog's neck and tied the other end to a low branch. "You're treating it as if it was a pet." Hope mumbled and looked around, marveling at some blue-green bioluminescent flowers nearby.

"Get some of the herb. They had dark blue flower and light green leaves and stem." I said while looking around. Hope readied a Fira on his hand, not only as anticipation for monsters ahead but the spell's light illuminated the dark pathway too. We are in Atzilut's Tears now, if we're correct.

Lightning went to the small waterfall nearby, Hope to a bunch of glowing plants and I went behind one of the boulders nearby. I picked a flower that I suspected as the medicine, and I inhaled its scent. It wasn't as good as any other flowers, so I suppose that these are the ones we're looking for.

I walked to Hope who was examining some flowers. "Hey, get that Fira here." I grabbed his left wrist and pulled the Fira spell close to the flower I'm holding. "The flowers are like this... aren't they?" Lightning approached us and handed the flower she found to me. "Yeah, sounds like it. We get some more." I said and let go of Hope's wrist. He rubbed at it for a while and returned to looking for some more.

"That's enough, guys." I said, and we returned to where the Svarog previously was. And I realized that something was wrong.

It was gone, leaving the whip snapped into two and my bloodstained sword nearby. "Damn it, this is gonna be a _long_ night." I groaned irritably, and Lightning scoffed at the same time. "Let's go get one if we're lucky." She said and we all left to the entrance of Vallis.

* * *

"It's not bright enough, 'Nille."

Fang groaned at her younger friend and walked to the door, shutting it. "Be quiet, Fang. I'm trying to concentrate here..." Vanille replied and tried her best to cast an Esuna and a Curaga. The wound was closed halfway now, but the poison won't be removed from Snow's system.

Vanille picked a candle and pouted. She walked back to the door and opened it, but she's not here to grab something or think for a while.

She was about to use the flower.

She grabbed the flowerpot and carried it in one arm and the candle in the other hand. She marveled at the orange-and-gold hues of the flower and its sunny yellow center for a while. "'Ey 'Nille, what's that flower you're carrying?" Fang asked immediately after Vanille went out. She gulped.

"This flower..." she started nervously. "It healed the scars I had after battling that Svarog. So it must be a _magically _healing flower... so I decided to use it to heal Snow." "Wait, isn't that Lia's flower?" Sazh asked from afar. "What do you mean?" Vanille cocked her head to the side. "She's gonna be mad if you used that flower permanently."

"Hope said that it's a magic flower... Solis— what's the name? I don't remember, Vanille, but that flower is really rare. Like, 'you can get only one per millennia.'" He continued. "Are ya serious?" Fang gave him a serious look. "You're not lying, right?" "I swear for Etro's sake, I heard it myself from Hope!"

Vanille shrugged at the two and settled the flower down at a nearby desk. She sighed and placed the candle beside the flower, careful for the fire not to burn its petals. "Whatever." She mumbled and returned back to healing Snow. She wiped sweat from her forehead and worked on casting stronger Curaga. She collapsed to the floor soon enough.

"Rest for a while, 'Nille. Ya don't look good there." Fang assured. "Yeah. We're running low on Potions, better save it for later use or in emergency." Vanille yawned and grabbed a candle before leaving to the bedroom to doze off for a while.

Loud knocking sounded at the front door. More like banging, actually. "Open now!" a yell came from outside and the banging intensified. "I'll get it," Sazh let out a sigh and opened the door. He backed away in shock. "Wait, what happened?" he asked, staring at the three people in the door. "We're riding a Svarog to Vallis," Lia said, stepping inside. "But it fled and we're forced to hike back here. But something went pass us and it shoved us into the second lake at the Central Expanse. Now we're all wet," she groaned and placed the flowers on the table. "Whoa, what happened to you guys?" Fang approached them and laughed at how wet they looked.

"We fell into the second lake. Something shoved us inside but it was too fast for us to examine." Hope replied and walked away. Letting out an irritated scoff, Lightning stripped off her wet overcoat and overskirt, tossing them down on the floor. Fang wolf-whistled at the sight and put her hands on her hips, her jade orbs staring straight into Lightning's angered blues. "Wow Light, never realized you would do that in front of Hope." She winked at the teenager. "Shut up, Fang." Lightning replied with an angry blush tinting her cheeks.

Hope ignored it and tossed his wet jacket down to the floor. "I think I've got something over here... I wish they're clean enough to wear." Lia rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out a Pulsian hunting garb. "Thank Etro it's still clean." She huffed in relief and went to the bedroom.

* * *

_~ Lia's POV ~_

_What a night, _I thought irritably. Something had pushed the three of us into the second lake. It was too fast for us to notice, and it moved in almost a warp speed. I tossed my jacket down on the floor and the short top down. Vanille was sleeping on one of the beds nearby. She must be tired.

I wore the new scarlet top I found in the wardrobe and grabbed a wooden choker. I hooked the three beaded strings to it so that the top won't fall down when I wore it. I changed my shorts with a light brown wraparound skirt made of leather and I took off my waist bag. I slung another on a string decorated with beads and feathers. I tossed my ankle boots away to dry and exchanged it with open-cut hunting boots.

Sighing, I grabbed some feathers I found and cleaned them before stringing them on my hair. _It's more like it, _I thought. _Better than wearing wet clothing all day._

I took off my gloves and grabbed a cord instead, and I tied it on my left arm coupled with some beaded bracelets on my right wrist. Grinning, I stepped outside the room and spotted Solis on a nearby desk by a sage-colored candle. "Hm?" I grabbed it and returned the flower to the window near the altar.

I stepped to the other bedroom and found the others circling around the unconscious Snow. Hope seems to be wondering about how to use the flower for the said hero.

I snatched the flowers off his hand and sat down. "Hey, you look different." Fang said from the room's corner. "Yeah. I found these clothing around, so I wore it." I replied her while crushing the flowers' petals with my fingers. "Hey Hope, massage his throat so he can consume this." I opened Snow's mouth rather roughly and put the flowers' mashed petals into his mouth. Hope obeyed and quickly done his part. "That's it?" Lightning asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"You mean we went _that _far just for this?" she continued with slight annoyance in her voice. "Yeah, what would you expect it to be?" I replied casually and blew the candle off. The others left the room and back to their usual sleeping spots.

She cursed something under her breath and walked to her usual bed. Fang gave me a nod and went to sleep by Vanille's side. Sighing, I turned the remaining candles off and went to my usual bed, taking off the boots and the cord.

What a day it was...

* * *

**A/N: *Devilish grin* Payback time, Lia! Now's your time for an epic fail! *Laughs evilly***

**The (devilish) idea of plunging her into the second lake in the Expanse popped all of a sudden in my mind! I typed it randomly and continued to laugh while typing it.**

**Oh, next chap's will be about going to and training in the Steppe. Let me know what you're thinking of!**

**~ Crystal**


	16. Chapter 16: Chocobo Problems

**A/N: Thanks to Sezza09 and Lazerraider for liking and following this story. Looks like I'm gettin' more favs... Hey, no bragging at all!**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: Yep! For Snow being a hero doesn't mean he can only save anyone... that also means that someone can also save him, right? It's not his lucky day that he's injured plus poisoned.**

**Lol for last chap... I can't stop laughing. Poor Snow's poisoned and collapsed...**

* * *

I woke up midmorning today. _Just more and more days passed by... _I thought, shaking my head and sitting up. It was about seven now.

I grabbed the cord and tied it back to my arm. I tied the boots up and walked outside. The others are still sleeping, except for one. "Been better, hero?" I asked Snow who looked back at me. "Yeah, thanks to Vanille. She's a really good Medic." He grinned as usual. "You look different, though." He added. _Why does everyone here keep saying that? _I thought.

"Yeah. I found this yesterday. You didn't hear anything of Light, me and Hope... we've been through a long night looking for a herb to help heal you." I said. "Sorry—" "Nu-uh, that's okay. Something shoved us into the second lake at the Steppe... It's too fast for us to look at." I chuckled, putting my hands on my hips. "We're all wet. Look at Light, her overcoat and skirt are really drenched."

"Not a good day for sis." Snow said. "I hoped Serah's here to see Gran Pulse with her own eyes. She dreamed of going to see Pulse, y'know." I heard footsteps from inside. "Gotta get something to eat," I summoned Arcus and walked to the front lawn. "Wait, I'll come." Snow followed me. "Ya sure?" "Yep."

I walked pass the vine wall and down the stone steps. "Hey Li," Snow called out to me. "What's that building?" he pointed to a tall skyscraper similar to the modern ones in Palumpolum. "That? That's the Paddran Council building." His mouth formed an 'o' and we continued the walk to Yaschas's Ascendant Scarp. "How was it like living in Gran Pulse?" Snow asked a random question. I frowned a bit. "Freedom." I replied. "Huh?" "Yes, freedom. We Pulsians are free to do whatever we wanted. Unlike Cocoon... You're all organized."

Snow hummed and followed me past some Nelapsi. I walked out to the Pass of Paddra and to the Ascendant Scarp. "Ahh, fresh air." I smiled at the sun that had risen a few minutes ago. Svarogs flew overhead to enjoy the new day and some Behemoths are hunting for their prey. A couple of Triffids rose out from their disguise and started looking for something to consume. I peeked through the stone wall at a Behemoth. "Surprise attacks?" Snow whispered from behind me.

I shushed him and continued to spy on the Behemoth. I looked around and found something I can use to climb up the stone wall. Making sure that I had a firm grip over a jutting stone, I slowly stepped on a lower stone and climbed up the wall. Some ferns had been disturbing me, but I ignored those. After a few minutes of climbing up the cliff, I finally made it to the top and raised Arcus over my head. I looked down at the Behemoth. I giggled and looked down at a protesting Snow.

I gave him a wink and readied a stance to jump down to the Behemoth. Huffing, I finally jumped down and with a battle-cry; I slit the Behemoth's head clean off as soon as I landed on its back. Its lifeless body twitched and fell down to the ground with a thump. I dropped Arcus and took out my dagger instead. "Good shot." Snow grinned as he approached me. "Hey, where's the pouch?" I looked around, and then at Snow. I glared at him.

"Did you just forget to bring the pouch?" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Answer. That. Question." I said sharper at him. "Uhhh..." he said nervously. I face palmed at it. "You idiot." I muttered.

"Get that thing here." I ordered and he quickly obeyed in fear of another serious death threat from me. I shook my head at the sight and started to work in cutting the meat into smaller pieces, and then sawing off its long fangs and cleaning it with a Water spell.

* * *

Lightning awoke to the sun's bright rays pouring through the window. Groaning, she buried her face in the pillow and recalled the events yesterday, when she broke straight through the second lake's waters.

Gritting her teeth at the memory, she cursed the thing that shoved the three of them together into the lake. She sat up and looked to the room's corner under the sunlight, where she placed her overcoat, skirt, storage pack, gloves and sleeve to dry. Lightning walked to the room's corner and touched the tan fabric of her overcoat. It was dried, at least.

_Damn you, Fang, _she thought rather angrily, giving the twenty-one year old a glare. _I'll make you regret saying that in front of Hope. I swear for Etro's sake. _The said woman was lying on her side behind Vanille. Lightning quickly slipped her overcoat and skirt on before the remaining gears. She retrieved her shoulder pad from a desk nearby and left to check up on the others.

_No one's awake? _She wondered and walked to Lia's room, and then the guys' room. Two people are missing from the house. _Lia is going outside with Snow? What'd she do this early? _She ran to a certain desk and found the larger pouch on it. She rummaged through the pouch but found nothing. _She couldn't be hunting. The pouch was left here._

Just when she thought about that, heavy footsteps rang across the front door and she looked up to find Snow. "What're you doing outside?" she asked while tapping her foot on the wooden floor impatiently. "Hunting. I forgot to bring the pouch, so Lia sent me to get it and give it back to her." He grinned sheepishly. "She's really scary, y'know."

His words reminded her of Serah. Serah was really strict in ordering her around the house, and she wouldn't hesitate to do anything to get her on her feet, even when it comes into scolding her and dragging her by her collar upstairs. She had shown weakness in the past and that was _only to Serah._

"Hey sis, something in your mind?" Snow asked all of a sudden and Lightning snapped back to reality. Apparently she had zoned out for a while when thinking of her little sister. "Nothing. Just get back to your work." She said and walked outside. Snow quickly realized that he hadn't done something important and in a flash, he grabbed the pouch and rushed outside back to the Ascendant Scarp.

As soon as he left, Lightning tried to remember what happened that day.

* * *

_The three walked across the empty plains of Archylte Steppe. The Wyvern Lia caught had fled and they're forced to walk through the Central Expanse, near the waters._

_"I really wished there were Chocobos around here," Lia grumbled. "But those won't pop their heads out from hiding when it's dark like now." Lightning just shook my head faintly at it. "Hey, at least we're banded together here." Hope said. A pair of Amphisbaenas zoomed past us and into the darkness, and there are some of those rabid Gorgonopsids trying to fight a Behemoth King. "What's that?" she motioned to a bit of movement near the second pond._

_Lia narrowed her eyes. "Nothing's there."_

_"Hey watch out!"_

_A blur of movement passed them and Hope wobbled while trying to keep his balance when something hit him, and it was more to shoving us into the pool. "Ow!" he cried out when he fell into the pond, but not before trying to grip Lia's ankle and therefore, also pulling her along with Lightning inside._

_She fell headfirst into the cold water and tried to swim to the edge. Both Lia and Hope had reached to edge earlier and both of them are drenched. "What the hell is that thing?!" she yelled furiously at the creature that shoved us together into the lake. "I don't know, it's too fast." Lightning replied and sat on the edge. "How can we get back now? We're drenched, and it's a cold night."_

_"We better find a way." Lightning said irritably and started to walk away._

* * *

Lightning opened her aqua eyes again, and then gazed at the ruined nation in front of her and parted her lips slightly in annoyance. That was the most annoying thing that ever happened to her besides getting scolded by Serah. She saw a pair of Cie'th she didn't know shambling around, and some Nelapsi flying overhead. The city of Paddra was lifeless now. She gazed down at the crystal cocoon of Bituitus on the altar. It remained there and continued to emanate a bluish green light. She wondered—what is he doing anyway in a crystal cocoon?

Shrugging, she sensed movement nearby and turned around to meet face-to-face with Fang. She gave a wide grin at Lightning. "What's it, sunshine? Still embarrassed 'bout yesterday, huh?" she said teasingly. A light, irritated blush took over Lightning's cheeks and she shook her head no. "That's not very nice of you to tell that in front of Hope."

Fang then opened and closed her mouth but found nothing to say at the moment. Instead, she burst out laughing and banging her sides. "Tch. What's so funny anyway?" Lightning said irritably at the woman. "Sunshine, everything's funny here!" Fang replied and laughed louder. "You're too cute to tease."

Lightning scoffed and turned away, folding her arms over her chest. "_I'm not cute._" She hissed at the older woman. "'Nille said you were." "Shut up."

"Faaang!" Vanille's voice rang across the house. "Get here now!"

"Comin'!" Fang yelled back at the voice. "Gotta go, sunshine." She left while still keeping a smirk on her face. Shaking her head ever so slightly, she returned back into gazing at the clear sky. Fang and Vanille's relationship reminded her greatly of herself and Serah. The Oerbans are not siblings, no, but the two seemed to enjoy each others' presence. Not that she would think that either Vanille or Fang had a crush on the other.

Hollow footsteps echoed across the desolate city, a sign that the two must be returning back here from hunting. That was proven when angry shouts echoed again. That must be Lia scolding Snow.

Humming, she returned back inside to see the others.

* * *

"Took you long enough!"

I snatched the pouch from Snow's hands as he gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry," he said. Huffing irritably, I stuffed the neatly cut meat strips into the pouch.

"What're you doing anyway?" I asked the self-proclaimed hero with a weak glare. "I talked to sis, why?" he responded while helping me stuffing the meat. "Oh. I thought you did something stupid again that may harm you like yesterday." I tied the pouch back and handed it to Snow. "Heh, you reminded me of Serah. Both of you are scary, y'know." He said suddenly on our way back to Paddra.

I widened my eyes angrily at it. "What did you just say?!"

"N-Nothing!" he said in panic. "Y-You just proved it instead!" "You're a true idiot after all." I grumbled while walking up the steps. "Besides, you're the one that left the pouch!" I yelled at his face angrily. He let out a sheepish 'Eh..' and continued to walk up the steps, then the vine wall. "Lia, Snow! You're back!" Vanille rushed out to greet us and then tried to drag the pouch inside. "I just scolded Fang lately. I thought she was too lazy to hunt something out there." She said, settling down the pouch.

I walked to my room to check out my clothing. It's dried now. Grinning, I changed into it and took the feathers off my hair. Snapping the waist bag in place, I made sure that everything was in check before walking outside to see Lightning.

"Hey Light, are your clothes have dried yet?" I asked the soldier who nodded back in confirmation. I sat down on the floor and grabbed a fallen book nearby. I frowned at the cover. It has golden runes that symbolized the Water element. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. _Is this book locked with a spell? _I wondered. I casted a Water spell at the runes and it twisted. The book opened with a 'click' and an image projected from inside.

_An armored woman was fighting a giant snake in front of her. She wielded a staff made from the purest crystal and a finely sharpened purplish pink crystal was embedded to its tip._

I thought the person was a clone of me, but when the woman turned around, both her eyes are amethyst. My expression dropped into a confused frown. "Lia? What's—huh?" Fang gave the projection a confused look as she squinted her jade eyes to see the image clearer.

_The snake's body was strangely made of glowing blue water. It has menacing fangs and a sleek body, and every time it casted a spell, runes encircled it with the writing 'Aqua'._

"A..qua?" I tilted my head to the side. "Is that the snake's... name?"

_The woman let out the fiercest battle-cry anyone had ever heard—before stabbing Aqua's head with her staff. The snake let out a long hiss and a blinding flash of light engulfed its form. Aqua diminished into a short-haired woman with dark blue hair and emerald eyes wearing celestial clothing. The latter's canines are slightly elongated._

The image shattered into nothingness before me. "What just happened?" I asked myself and closed the book. "Vanille!" I called out all of a sudden to the orange-haired girl, who was preparing breakfast for us. "Find a book with the writing 'Analects' on it and read the first one aloud!" "Un!" Vanille confirmed and started to look around for the book. She pulled it from one of the shelves and opened it, then started to read the content aloud.

"Luminous lamented, for creation spiraled unto doom. Stout fashioned earth, that the future might take root. Sage turned mind's eye inward, seeking truth profound. Fool desired naught, and soon was made one with it. Wisdom infused her—"

"Vanille, stop!" I commanded, and she stopped reading. "What's wrong?" she tilted her head to the side. "You said wisdom what?" Vanille furrowed her eyebrows. "Wisdom infused her soul into a human, a warrior branded by fal'Cie." My expression dropped. "I never wrote that sentence..." I said. "How can it be?" Lightning asked beside me. "Could it be that there's a new deity? Like, not only Etro, Lindzei, Pulse and Bhunivelze." Hope said.

"Never mind. We've gotta move quickly to Mah'habara as soon as we finished eating." Snow said while eating on his share. I nodded quickly and grabbed my share and ate it.

* * *

"Provisions?"

"Check."

We packed all of our provisions and leftover food before leaving to Mah'habara. _I'm gonna miss Paddra. _I thought, and made sure that nothing was left behind.

The others got out of the structure and I shut the door behind me. That mysterious book that we opened a few moments ago... what does the vision mean? What is the relation between the staff-wielder and the dark haired woman? It seems that the book was never been there before.

We walked through the vine wall and found another blue Cie'th Stone nearby. Sazh activated it and motioned to Fang to read it. She nodded in confirmation and turned to face all of us. "This one wants us to kill yet another Cie'th. Should we accept it?" we all hesitated for a while. "What's its name?" "Edimmu." "Then it's not an Undying. We accept it." I announced, and the others sighed in relief.

We walked pass some hovering Triffids and got to the Tsubaddran Highlands. "Is that the mark?" Vanille pointed to the wailing Cie'th in the narrow Tsumitran Basin. "Yep. And I certainly hoped that the battlefield isn't as narrow as that basin." Fang replied.

"Hey Snow, catch its attention." Lightning said and readied her gunblade beside her. Snow nodded and whistled as loud as he can, and then yelled an "I'm the one you want!" with his Provoke ability. The Edimmu turned its head at us and hovered our way, shrieking loudly. We readied a stance as Snow continued to provoke the creature into attacking him.

I slashed series of Sparkstrike and Aquastrike at the Edimmu. It let out a wail and kicked at me several times in return, but its attention was attracted to Hope who casted stronger spells including an Aeroga. "Knock it off!" Sazh yelled in fury at the Cie'th and executed his Enfire-ed Cold Blood at the Edimmu. It wailed and tried to slap him with its wings but the move was canceled when Fang impaled it on its red eye with her Bladed Lance.

It fell down, dead and vanished into nothingness. "That was easier than I thought." Vanille said, folding her rod and placing it back on her rod. We nodded agreeably and jumped down through the fallen log and running back into the vast Archylte Steppe.

"Fresh air, I like it!" Sazh said with his chocobo chick chirping happily. "Hey, something's wrong." Vanille said while approaching the chocobo, whose chirping started to turn panic. "She said that some chocobos are around the Steppe. But a pack of Sahagins and Ceratosaurs are bothering them. I think we need to check it out."

We walked and true enough, we spotted a Paling wall in one of the crevasse in the Steppe. A red Cie'th Stone was floating nearby and I activated it. The stone prompted us to kill yet another Undying, this time Geiseric, the Profane. "Not this again," Fang groaned at the mission given by the stone. "We've gotta do this one. That's it, kill the Undying or bust, meaning we've gotta navigate _only _by walking."

"Fine then, we'll kill that Cie'th." Lightning said and we walked through the Steppe. A pack of those poisoned Gorgonopsids came, and there are six of them that prompted a battle. "Just great." Hope said in annoyance. They are more agile than the normal ones, and two of them had tackled Lightning and Snow to the ground. One tried to get Vanille but Fang received the blow instead; the jagged teeth buried into her left upper arm.

Two ganged up on me and one of them aimed a swipe. I evaded it a second too late and the claws tore through my left leg. Seeing the vulnerable position, one tackled me from behind and bit at the same leg at the upper thigh. I let out a cry as blood slowly flowed down my leg from the wound and I successfully kicked it away, but not before decapitating it. Hissing, I stood up shakily but fell back down to the ground, and noticed that one of them was attracted by the scent of blood and rushed to bite me.

Vanille entangled its neck with the wires of her rod and pulled it back from me, and Lightning fired a bullet that struck its brain. I saw from the corner of my eye that the Gorgonopsid attacking Snow had bit him on his right forearm. Sazh struck it down with his bullets and winced at the bite wound on the back of his leg. Fang stabbed another and Snow kicked the one attacking him away straight on its heart. Lightning stabbed that one and rushed to the other with a Blizzara spell. It killed the beast instantly.

"Lia, Lia! You okay?" Vanille gave me a concerned look and gasped at the serious wound on my upper left thigh. "You've gotta... Stop the bleeding... or else I'm gonna faint..." I wheezed, and tried to cast a Regen but failed as my magic ran out quicker than I thought.

"I don't have any magic, 'Nille..." I wheezed again as the orange-haired girl pressed a Curaga to the wound, but it was never sealed. Hope was busy handling Fang and Lightning is handling Snow, but Sazh, he had no one to handle him. I'm the only Medic that is unavailable because my magic ran out. "Hey Hope! Do we have any bandage?" Vanille called out to Hope who nodded back in confirmation and tossed her a newly-found bandage.

"You're okay, everything's under control here." she assured me while wrapping the bandages. "Heh, thanks..." I replied and started to get dizzy from blood loss. As soon as she was done, she rushed quickly to Sazh's side and started to heal him.

_Hmph, if we're injured like this, how can we kill Geiseric? Better die early anyway. _I thought grimly and tried to hoist myself up to my feet and walked limply to Fang. "Feel better, Fang?" I asked the Pulsian huntress and she nodded back, checking her bandaged arm. "That hurts. I think you're right."

Fang's left arm is bit by one and a long gash was on her lower right leg. There's another small cut on her right forearm and her midriff is a bit bruised. "Damn it... They're only Gorgonopsids. How the hell can they are this dangerous?" she said. I saw Snow, and he wasn't in good condition either. One bit him on his right forearm, and his sleeve is a bit torn. Sazh is no good either; Vanille had bandaged his wounded leg. And Lightning, there's a gash on her forehead and a smaller one on her left cheek, and some scratches on her right leg and arm, but nothing serious at all. "Tch," she scoffed. "How can we defeat Geiseric if we—"

A deafening wail sounded across the plains, causing the birds around us to fly away and the new pack of Gorgonopsids to flee the area. "What is that?" Hope yelled as loud as he can while covering his ears, "That's Geiseric!" I yelled back and I pointed at a cliff nearby, causing the others to gape at the gigantic Cie'th. "If we're not lucky, that thing's gonna smash us to smithereens in one blow!"

"We fight it, whatever the outcome was!" Vanille yelled optimistically before heading to it. "...Whatever." I mumbled and followed the bubbly girl to the Cie'th's way, before someone grabbed my wrist and stopped me from advancing, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lightning's voice interrupted. "Fight Geiseric, what else?" I pulled my wrist back and continued to walk to the Undying. "With that condition? Your thigh is injured and how come can you win without broken bones?" I steamed at her words. "That's normal. Stop worrying too much about my well-being. I can't die at least, and _you _are the one that's supposed to worry about yourself."

"I can keep myself alive for any reason." "Do it, I dare you."

That argument isn't helping in this condition. I snatched one of the Potions we had left from her storage pack and downed it quickly. Scoffing, Lightning walked past me and to the Undying. _I bet you'll die fighting this damned Undying. _I thought irritably. I saw the others already readying a stance at the mythical being. Rushing to Snow's side, I readied Arcus and casted my best Aerora and Waterga at it, while Fang and Snow are guarding the party. Vanille and Hope are ready as both healer and attacker, and Lightning along with Sazh are casting their Ruin spells at it.

Hope and Sazh helped with the Protect, Shell, Haste and Vigilance spells while Fang and Vanille are now buffeting Geiseric with their combined Slowga, Cursega, Deprotectga and Deshellga. Geiseric raised his fist and attempted to smash us, but he moved a little too slow due to his gigantic size and we managed to avoid the blow. But gravity's grasp went loose and we all fell to the ground after the shockwaves that erupted when the fist collided with the hard ground and cracking it.

Geiseric executed his Percussive Blow and slammed his fist again to the ground and almost crushing Snow and Sazh under it. Lightning casted her most powerful Thundaga spell at the Cie'th and it let out a deafening wail. I suddenly got an idea, "Hope! Combine your Aeroga with Light's Thundaga! I wish you luck!" I yelled to the teenager who quickly nodded and rushed to Lightning.

Hope casted his Aeroga together with Lightning's Thundaga, and the vortex of clouds and gusts of wind swirled like a tornado around Geiseric, also momentarily blinding him. Together amidst the clouds were purple bolts of lightning that successfully electrocuted the Cie'th. Fang casted her Ruinga and me my Waterga, followed by some Enthunder-ed arrows at Geiseric.

Strangely, the bolts seemed like they don't affect the gigantic Undying. Instead, the bolts gathered on his fist and then he lifted it high in the air, and the bolts were cast down upon us in a similar manner to Bituitus's Levinbolt.

The bolts struck us back a few feet away until we all dropped to the ground. "It's Bituitus all over again!" Sazh complained and fired his Enfrost-ed bullets at Geiseric. Geiseric deflected the Ruinga that Fang had practically gift-wrapped for him and it struck her back along with Lightning and Snow. A sickening 'crack' sounded through the air and I saw that it was Lightning, some of her ribs had cracked after the non-elemental spell exploded.

Her cry of pain split through the air and Hope rushed worriedly to her side. I felt a searing pain through my upper right thigh where the Gorgonopsid had bitten me previously, and I saw that more blood is seeping through the white bandage. Gritting my teeth, I tried my best to ignore the pain and casted more spells at the Cie'th. Fang has grown desperate and decided to call upon her Eidolon Bahamut and the Sky King exploded into existence from the heavens.

He swooped down to Fang and transformed into his usual form. When I compared Bahamut's posture to Geiseric, they both are around the same height. _Damn it, a Cie'th can reach the height of an Eidolon. How come can we win this fight? _I wondered, and fired more arrows. Hope had finished healing Lightning and she stood back up and joined the fight once again.

Bahamut swiped his claws in a diagonal manner and breathed an Inferno. Geiseric rammed his fist to Bahamut's chest plate and the move knocked the Eidolon back a few steps. He let out a roar and casted his Ignis and Umbral Vise twice. Sazh casted his Firaga and fired some more before renewing the Enfrost spell that started to wane and casted some more. "See if you like this!" Snow casted three Blizzards, then a Blizzara and a Blizzaga at Geiseric.

Lightning and Hope tried to cast their Thundaga again but the Cie'th absorbed the spell into his fist and casted it in the same manner like before. I suddenly had an idea for it.

I rushed to where the bolts are focused and held Arcus up so the currents are transferred into the arrow. After the bolts had ended I fired the charged arrow into Geiseric's 'chest' part together with Bahamut's Ignis, which the two spells exploded and Geiseric let out a final wail before tumbling down the cliff he's on helplessly.

Bahamut shattered into nothingness and rejoined with Fang. I saw it from the spot where Geiseric landed, a rainbow-hued orb shot into the clear sky and the corpse vanished.

"Lightning, that's one hell of a Thundaga!" Fang said with her usual grin and approached the soldier, who gave her a curt nod. "Yeah Light, we saw it from Paddra when the whole sky turned bright as day!" Vanille also gave Hope a smile, and he just let out an "Eh..." and smiled back. "Hey, let's name that combined effort. It'll be a new technique." Snow suggested.

"Um... What about 'Thunderstorm'?" Vanille suggested. We all nodded agreeably. "Good name, 'Nille." Fang said proudly to her friend. "Hey, what about that red wall of light? We should check it out." Sazh said, and we nodded.

We decided to walk back to where the Paling wall was and found out that is was already gone from existence. We spotted a Cie'th Stone nearby and activated it. "Hey, this mentions chocobos. So maybe this is what your chocobo was panicking about?" Lightning asked to Sazh, and the chocobo chick popped out from his afro and chirped agreeably. "Let's go." Hope walked away from us and into the narrow tunnel.

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

Those words escaped me when a whole flock of Pulsian chocobos popped their heads out from hiding. Sazh's chocobo chick flew out of his afro and chirped happily to greet some more Pulsian chicks. "Well, I think I should leave you here after all. Bye." Sazh said to his chocobo chick but it chirped angrily and started to peck at him, "Wait! I'm just kidding! No way would I leave you! Hey!" we laughed at the scene.

I saw a chocobo that was cornered by three Sahagins and some Ceratosaurs. "Hey, let's help that one out!" the chick stopped pecking at Sazh and gave a final chirp before flying back into his afro. We engaged the group of creatures and the adult Chocobo fled the battlefield.

The Sahagin screeched and sprayed water with its webbed feet at us. The water was harmless but that was enough to become a distraction. One of the Ceratosaurs slapped Vanille with its tail and started to do it continuously to Fang. The second Sahagin rushed to Snow and launched him in the air before letting him to fall back first onto the wet ground. I decapitated the third Sahagin and fired at the second Ceratosaur and it met its doom.

Lightning fired at the second Sahagin and casted her Thunder spells. Hope helped by tossing his boomerang at the same one and it knocked the Sahagin to the ground out cold. Fang jabbed at the first one and killed it instantly, before chasing the second Ceratosaur and finally casted a Ruinga that ended its life.

"Hey, we could make use of them as rides." I suggested to a flock of Chocobos huddled beside the pond together. "Approach them gently. Don't make them get head-to-head with monsters or else they'll boot you off." Vanille said and approached one. The Chocobo backed off at first but Vanille continued to approach it, and started to pet its fur. "It's alright," she assured the bird and it let out a happy 'Kweh' and flapped its wings. "See?"

Fang helped her friend to mount the bird and she got to one of her own. "Hey, you want some Greens?" she asked the bird and petted its feathery neck gently. She mounted the Chocobo and sat sideways. "C'mon, get one of your own!"

I approached one and smiled at it. I spotted some Gysahl Greens by the pond and picked them up, before offering the vegetable to the bird. "Come on, it's okay." I encouraged the timid Chocobo and it slowly reached to the Greens, before swallowing them. It seems that this one is still a young bird, so it's a bit timid than the other adult ones.

"You ready? We go to Mah'habara!" Vanille said cheerfully. We steered our Chocobos out of the Font of Namva and out to the Steppe.

"Hey, should we camp first?" Hope asked while gripping to the reins tightly. "We should. Better avoid monsters anyway, if you don't avoid them they'll boot their riders and flee!" Fang said while whooping, it seems like she hadn't rode these animals for a very long time.

"We should head to the cave we're previously in!" Snow said from his Chocobo. The bird let out a 'Kweh!' and sped up to the route where the cave previously was. But mine suddenly halted and turned around the other direction. "Hey, where are you going?!" I yelled to the Chocobo as if it can understand me, and it continued to rush to a boulder, before digging something out and picking it with its beak.

I grabbed the item and examined it. "Good job!" the Chocobo let out a happy 'Kweh Kweh!' before rushing back to where the others are. The item it dug out was a Ribbon, a rare item.

"Hey, what's your Chocobo doing?" Fang asked on the way to the cave. "A Ribbon! That's a good thing to find!" I replied and Fang laughed, before mouthing a 'Good job', and we steered the Chocobos to the cave to rest for a while before going to Mah'habara.

_Another second. Another minute. Another hour. Another day._

_Another moment in defying our fated Focus. The clear skies of Gran Pulse should not last long, for it will be a battlefield._

_Another memory. Another mystery. Another scar. Another bloodshed._

_Another challenge in pursuing our Promised Eternity. Will we succeed? Will we fail?_

_Succeed or fail, we're doomed. That is what a l'Cie would always be._

_No matter what we did to become stronger, to become braver, to become fearless,_

_It always ended in war._

_Will we be able to become such fabled Ragnarok, and destroy Cocoon? Will we able to free our Dearly Beloved from their crystal eternity? Will we find the Maker that left the world? Will we fulfill Serah's wish?_

_Will we?_

* * *

**A/N: Chocobos. What'd I say?**

**I. Love. Chocobos!**

**Those are the best mounts! I found them a bit late in the game ('cause I defeated Orphan first before finding Paddra, I never knew where the junction was so I skipped it) and when I rode them, it's really, really fun! Especially when I can discover Haerii and the Faultwarrens after riding it to the cliff and when we got the chance to play the Chocobo Treasure Hunt minigame.**

**Too bad that in XIII-2 you can't freely ride Chocobos without using some Gysahl Greens.**

**Anyway, sorry for the late update, I got lazy typing these days and I'll type more I swear, but I won't type from Monday till Thursday, I'm having a vacation to my uncle's. I'll update as much as I can till July 13****th****, guys. I can't believe that this story is gettin' more than one thousand views.**

**Until next time.**

**~ Crystal**


	17. Chapter 17: Mah'habara Depths

**A/N: Guys, I'm really, really sorry for not updating in what, almost a week? I thought I'll be backing home at Thursday but no; instead I'm back on Sunday. Gah, it looks like I gotta update instantly now.**

**Anyway, thanks for all the reviewers, and here are my replies:**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: There is, but it's in ruins. Put it this way, there's a stone wall surrounding the Ascendant Scarp on the left, right? If you don't look carefully there's actually a gap between two walls, go in the gap, pass some Munchkin and their Maestro and with a bit trekking through Goblins in the Pass of Paddra, off you go, it's the Paddraean Archaeopolis.**

**~ Here's A Dagger To Your Feels: I guess it's possible for someone to birth the seeress of the current generation even if they already had their own children, and yep, you're right, it is.**

**Enough talk. Let's begin the seventeenth chap.**

* * *

We found the old cave we're previously in, and we decided to camp some more nights there before heading to Mah'habara Subterra. It was already dusk now, and we have to camp for a while before off to train in the Steppe tomorrow morning.

I dismounted my Chocobo and it ran away from the area. The others also let go of theirs, but Vanille seemed to have a problem to dismount it. Fang finally helped her down, and Lightning stored the remaining two Potions in the same place as usual. "We can train with the stones for a while here. And then we head to Mah'habara." She said. "Someone go scout to make sure that the area is clear."

"Come on, 'Nille, let's go." Fang said as she pulled Vanille, who had sat on the ground first to her feet. "No waay," Vanille whined and sat back down. "I'm all tired."

"Then let's go, Fang." I stood up and Fang nodded, and I spared the others a last glance before following the huntress into the wilds.

* * *

The Archylte Steppe was a little bit gloomy when it came to the taller trees that are growing around the stone wall. Some Wyverns have returned to their nests, the terraquatics along with Sahagins and the likes also returned. What is left roaming the wilds are still those Gorgonopsids, some Megistotherians and a Behemoth King nearby; even the Oretioses aren't present in the Steppe.

"Look, there's more of 'em." Fang motioned to the packs of rabid Gorgonopsids around. "Along with their boss." I motioned to a single Megistotherian lying among the other Gorgonopsids.

_We're camping in the Northern Highplains, how come can it be safe with all those creatures around?_ I wondered. "Better tell the others anyway." She said and walked back to the camp.

_Clink._

"Huh?" My feet had hit something solid in the ground. I grabbed the object and dug it out, and I saw that it was an abandoned vial of Potion. "This is our lucky day." Fang said and grabbed the bottle, examining it, "Is this expired already? Who knows, we found a Potion and it was already expired." I snatched it from her hand and uncapped it. Judging by the smell, this one hasn't expired yet. "Nope, still good. I wonder whose Potion is this." I placed the cap back on and stored it.

"Let's go back. The others might've been waiting for us." I nodded and followed her way back to the camp.

"We're back." I said and sat down beside Hope. "Anything out there?" Vanille tilted her head to the side as she grilled the remaining meat. "Some packs of those rabid things, along with a Megistotherian." Fang replied and sat down. "Good thing we found a Potion."

I took the vial out and tossed it to Snow over the fire, and he caught it and placed it inside the cave along with the other vials. Vanille passed the meat to the others and I ate my share. "Anyone knows what does the projection means?" she asked all of a sudden. "I don't remember the book being there. Besides, you've gotta unlock it with a Water spell." I answered her question.

"And the first Analect, it means that the prophecy has been changed. A new deity existed."

"The author referred to the deity as 'Wisdom'. Who knows?" Hope said. "Hey, the one that wrote it for the first time is _me._ How come can that be changed quickly? But the real question is, 'If 'Sage' was Lindzei, 'Stout' was Pulse, 'Fool' was Etro, and then who 'Wisdom' is?'"

"I suppose it had a connection to your immortality. How did you get it, and what caused this?" Lightning said. "People refer to this glow as the 'Crystal Heart'. They say it's also connected to the powers to crystallize things as well, but to who does this heart belongs to, I don't know. It may be the deity, Etro knows who. And then—"I stopped for a while.

"Wait a damn minute," I tried to think for a while. "When I was in the War of Transgression, I was taken to Valhalla." "What's Valhalla?" "It's the realm of the dead, home to the goddess Etro. I was taken there, and she said—"

"She said that—"Something vanished from my memories all of a sudden. Maker, what did Etro said to me that time? When she took me to her shrine, she was speaking to me about something. I'm very sure of it, but how come...?

"I... don't remember."

The others gave me a confused look. "What happened, actually?" Sazh asked with concern in his voice. "Something has to do with this. Something changed, one that I can't stop." I said. "Legends said, 'If one's memories are missing, those lost memories vanished into the Void Beyond, and soon if someone didn't retrieve it, the memories are to be swallowed by the Void for all eternity'. That means if I forgot something and no one retrieved it for me, I'll lose the memory forever. Probably that's what is happening."

"Like, when I and Fang had forgotten what our Focus is?" Vanille questioned gently. "Yes. Thankfully Barthandelus retrieved it for you." "That ol' timer fal'Cie?" Fang asked with disgust. "We can continue this tomorrow. What matters now, is that we have to complete our Focus and defeat Barthandelus." Lightning assured with a nod. "What'll we do now?" "Rest."

"I'll go out for a while." I said and I walked away from the camp site. Nighttime had fallen across Gran Pulse, and now is the time for the stronger monsters to appear. I decided to train for a while here, so I went to the place where the Megistotherian was. It was already up and running around to catch some preys along with the Gorgonopsids accompanying it.

"Hey, over here!" I called out to the fanged beast and waved around to catch its attention. True enough, the Megistotherian soon turned its head to me and let out a low growl, before leaping forwards to pounce on me. I leaped sideways and avoided the attack, before summoning Arcus into my empty hand. The Megistotherian rushed to swipe at me and I fired arrows to its large body.

One of them struck its ankle and the beast roared, before swatting me to the side with its sharp claws. One of the jagged claws struck where the bite wound was, and I heard sounds of ripping from it.

The bandage tore open and fell down to the ground. The wound had started to bleed again, and I tried my best to cast a Regen to it. Crimson tainted the green grass below me and the Megistotherian started to charge again, this time with more speed and agility than before. I casted my Aerora continuously at the beast coupled with some arrows, and then back to casting a Waterga and a Thundaga. I started to feel lightheaded from blood loss, and I noticed that the wound started to bleed more. Hissing, I pressed a Regen to the open wound and casted more spells at the Megistotherian.

It's bad that I can't learn to use fire-based spells. Those things hate the heat, and Fire spells are unavailable for me. I blocked a swipe and slashed in return at the fanged beast and it retaliated by breathing a mist from within its maws and I felt like I was inflicted with Poison. I quickly casted an Esuna and continued fighting the Megistotherian.

I collapsed to the ground soon enough and the Megistotherian let out a triumphant roar. _Dammit, I can't move, _I cursed inwardly and glanced to see that the Megistotherian opened its maws wide and prepared to bite into my flesh. _Someone help me. I guess I'm a fool for fighting a Megistotherian single-handed without the necessary spells._

When I thought the thing was about to eat me alive, sounds of gunshots are heard from my left and the Megistotherian backed away as the bullets struck its eye. "What were you thinking?!" Lightning's voice sounded beside me as she helped me back to my feet. "I don't know." I replied her question. "Don't be an idiot. You don't have Fire on your side, so never engage a Megistotherian single-handed!" Fang appeared beside Lightning as she readied a stance. "Guess I needed the cavalry after all."

Lightning casted her Fira spells at the Megistotherian and it ran away from the scene. Fang tossed the roll of bandage to me and I caught it, while casting a new Regen and followed by wrapping the new bandage on my thigh. I felt lightheaded. _Too lightheaded._

"It's like I'm gonna collapse anytime soon." I grumbled and followed the two back to the camp. "Well it's your fault." Lightning replied.

"We heard sounds of fighting," Snow approached us upon we returned to the camp. "What's going on exactly?" I lowered my head guiltily. "I fought a Megistotherian. I thought I can kill it, but I don't have fire-based spells in my disposal. That's the problem. Guess I'll take the first watch as a punishment."

"No, you lost too much blood. You better rest." Fang rejected. "I can't sleep." I replied. I walked to a nearby log and sat on it. "Go sleep."

The others walked to their usual sleeping spots and lay down. As soon as they fell asleep, I gazed to the clear night sky and the Wyverns flying about. _Hey Lev, _I asked Leviathan mentally. _Why can't I learn fire-based spells?_

"_It is not in your nature, master." _He replied. _"Tell me, have you tried focusing on a Fire spell and it does not appear on your hand?" _I thought for a while, and then nodded. _"Then you cannot. No matter how hard you tried to cast one, nothing will appear."_

"Okay. Thanks for the knowledge." I said aloud and forgetting that the others might hear me. "Who are you talking to?" Someone said from inside the cave, and when the person came out, it was Lightning. "I'm talking to no one in your vision, but someone in my heart." I replied. "Then who is it?" "My Eidolon, Leviathan." Lightning gave me a questioning look. "That is the reason that you knew when Vanille and Sazh are safe in the _Palamecia_?"

"Yeah." I gazed to the night sky. "But you cannot hear his voice. He's not your Eidolon, Light. You can only hear Odin's voice if you listened to your heart."

"Then I'll try." She said. "Mm-hm. That's what I'm expecting you to say."

"But Lia," she said again. "Who are you, actually?" her question took me aback and I gave her wide eyes. "You really wanna know?" "I asked, didn't I?" I took a deep breath and exhaled, before telling her all the things I know.

"The leader of Paddra was a seeress tasked to guide her people into the light and prosperity." I began, "She was nothing more than a teenager. She was loved by her people, and they constantly asked her guidance over things. She was no older than twenty years old when she died." Lightning gave me a surprised look. "So this... Seeress, is just a teenager? And she led a whole nation at that age?"

I nodded agreeably. "She possessed the Eyes of Etro that will kill her soon. The Eyes of Etro cannot be involuntarily closed, and nothing will stop its curse. The more she saw, the sooner will she die. The visions are recorded and stored in an ancient drive, but the drive was gone sometime in the past, and no one could find the drive. So we made a new one, and recorded the new visions there."

"I was born along with the seeress in my generation. I stumbled upon the patron fal'Cie one day and I was made a l'Cie in the age of seventeen."

"I was trusted to write the Analects, special visions that the seeress saw. There are thirteen Analects in total, and each tells about the history of Pulse, the deities, and other things. I was trusted to start lead the nation along with the seeress when I'm twenty-five chronologically, and some say that I inherited the Eyes of Etro that the seeress possesses. That is why; I saw the similar visions as she did."

"But doesn't that mean that you're on the brink of death?" Lightning asked. "I think the Eyes of Etro cannot overcome my eternal life. I saw a lot of those visions, but none affected me severely. I never knew why, and I think that the effects started to fade away like dust, little by little."

"I wonder. You collapsed straight after defeating the second Kalavinka. What happened to you anyway?" "I never knew. I saw something, but can I ask you a stupid question? Did my eyes open after I collapsed, but you can't see anything but a golden symbol?"

Lightning quieted for a while, thinking. "No. I don't think so."

_I guess I'm dreaming away for a while, then. Curious. _I thought. "I'll go catch some shut eye." I walked to my usual sleeping spot, and left Lightning wondering about what happened that time outside.

* * *

It has been a while since Lia left Lightning outside to think. _Eyes of Etro. I think I've ever heard about it from those history books. _She thought, and folded her arms over her chest. _But does that mean that those visions she saw will kill her someday? She told me that the Eyes of Etro can't be involuntarily closed. But then she told me like she felt the effects fading away slowly. How come?_

She gazed into the horizon to take a closer look on things around the base camp they're in. There are still those rabid Gorgonopsids, and there are sounds of distant stomping that shook the ground far away. It was an Adamantoise stomping its way across the Steppe.

_I'll think of more things later. _That was the only thought that ran across her mind. But if she didn't unveil more things, then Lia's sudden appearance in Cocoon would remain as a mystery. Her memories are somehow vanishing; it seems like her encounter with Etro—

_-Didn't really happen at all._

_Is she lying about all this? _Lightning wondered, thinking for a while. _Did nothing have ever happened at the first place? How come can one's memories vanish all of a sudden, and then you can't remember any piece of the lost memory?_

Shaking her head off any disturbing thoughts, Lightning resumed her watch.

* * *

Dawn arrived faster than we expected to be. The sun has already risen in the horizon, the bright rays eventually filling the cave. Blinking, I sat up and stretched, before heading outside to see the conditions in the Northern Highplains. None has changed from yesterday, but the Megistotherian I fought last night has returned to its usual place along with the fellow Gorgonopsids.

"Lia."

That stern voice caught my attention. Without turning around to face the speaker, I said a "What is it now?" to whomever the speaker is. I assume the person is Lightning.

"Are you lying?" Lightning questioned with a sharp tone and a hint of curiosity in her voice. "What do you mean?" I asked again, this time a bit suspicious of what that was happening now. "You said your memories are vanishing," she said, "What actually happened that time? I don't believe that one's memories can vanish without a trace into this place called, 'The Void Beyond'?"

"The Void is what remained of Valhalla's shadow. Rift beasts originate from there, and also starnge Voidborn creatures. That is the Void Beyond." I explained. "I don't know, you're not destined to be able to cross the Void... Not many people can visit a place like that, save for time travelers and those who are blessed by the Goddess. Never ask me again of what happened to my lost memories. They're probably gone now."

"I still don't believe you."

I gritted my teeth angrily at her cold tone of voice. "Those are mentioned in the Oracles of Etro. Those are always true. I never lied of what happened to me so long ago. They're still fresh like a new scar from a blade. Except for those that includes my dialogue with the Goddess."

When she was about to spit a harsh word at me, I cut her off, "Talk about this later."

"I don't want to talk anything about my past in this moment. So shut up and _stop_ asking." I walked outside of the cave and sat down on a rock while crossing my arms over my chest.

_Why would she think that I'm a liar? Never. I never lied when I told anyone about my past. I meant every single word of it. Why would I lie about something that actually happened so long ago? Even though those happened around eight hundred years ago, I never lied. Those memories are still fresh._

_None are wrong. Every single thing I told her was not a lie._

Sighing, I stood up and saw the others starting to wake up. "Morning!" Vanille said to me cheerfully with a giggle. "How's the night? Did you sleep well?" I shook my head no. "I don't think so. Everything is disturbing me here, especially when Light doesn't believe me of what I told her."

Vanille hesitated for a while. "Hm... I guess you should make her believe you, then."

"I never lied, 'Nille. I never lied when it came to my past life. Why would I lie about something that I still remember?" I gave the orange-haired girl a serious look. "Well... I think Light doesn't believe in the Oracles of Etro. She's from Cocoon, and we're from Pulse... it's expected, I guess."

I hummed agreeably. Maybe Lightning doesn't believe me because she never heard of Pulsian legends. Make sense, Vanille.

"Shouldn't we move on to Mah'habara now?" Fang questioned the others from inside the cave. "Maybe. It's a short way from here, just around the corner of this stone wall." Vanille replied and went inside, apparently picking up the provisions.

A few minutes later, the others are done and ready to move onto the next area. "Ready?" Lightning asked, and the others nodded. "Around the corner, then." Fang added, and we followed her around the wall and found the entrance to Mah'habara, along with a Cie'th Waystone. But the narrow path was blocked by a fighting pair of Behemoth King and Megistotherian. "Dammit," Fang cursed, trying to figure out the way to sneak through the two creatures. "Both are too strong. We can't fight those two at a time. We've gotta sneak through." I suggested.

"Who's gonna volunteer to try the idea out?" Snow said confidently and slammed his fists together. We all turned our heads towards him, giving him a 'You are' look. "O...kay," he said nervously, and tried to walk near the fighting two. "Just don't do anything stupid, _hero_." Fang said.

Snow stepped further to the creatures cautiously. Of course he didn't want the two to eat him alive!

He broke onto a sprint to the entrance once both didn't notice him, and got to the entrance safely and unscathed. "Safe!" he yelled, and walked further into the dark pathway. I ran to the entrance as soon as the two creatures moved away to continue their fight somewhere else and the others followed me quickly. "Thank Etro we're safe." I huffed in relief, and walked into the dark pathway in front of us, and into the dark depths of Mah'habara Subterra.

"It's really dark in here." Vanille said and clung to Fang, who shook her head. "We're lucky that there are torches around. This place is kinda like an underground mine for Pulsians." She said, and ran faster to catch up with Snow, who was ahead.

A pair of robots neared on us. "What are those?" Sazh asked and motioned to the beeping machinery. "Those are Hoplites. They're weak; you can defeat them easily by electrocuting them." I explained and casted a series of Thundara to the two machines, and they dropped to the ground and no longer moving. "See?"

He nodded and walked farther in the tunnels. "Whoa," Hope said in awe at the mine in front of us. "I never thought that you Pulsians can build something like this." Fang scoffed, "Of course we can! This mine is run by a fal'Cie."

As soon as she said that, the ground shook uncontrollably as something zoomed past us from beneath the bridge we're on. "That's the fal'Cie Atomos. I bet he's still searching for the Gate here, by digging tunnels and connecting them so there's no possible dead end." I explained. "We should go in farther." Lightning suggested and we continued the walk across the bridge. A Boxed Phalanx and a pair of Hoplites are in front of us, whirring continuously and blocking the path.

"Looks like we've gotta shut these two down." Snow said and readied a battle stance. "Destroy the Hoplites first!" Vanille said and casted her Thunder spells to the first Hoplite, and it dropped dead to the ground as mangled and useless metal. Lightning finished the second off, before moving on to the Boxed Phalanx. I casted my Water spells and attempted to short circuit the thing, but its metal body is too thick for the spells to reach the core.

It whirred awkwardly and spun around, before approaching Fang and giving her a harsh smack. Four new Hoplites materialized from nowhere and the new robots started to gang up on Hope and Sazh. The Phalanx enhanced its ally robots and they started to move faster than ever.

"Looks like we gotta hammer the Phalanx first, but we can't if the Hoplites are too overwhelming!" Fang said and attacked the first two Hoplites and jabbed her lance randomly to hit the machine's core. The two Hoplites she's targeting dropped dead to the ground and the other two followed their demise when Lightning casted her strongest Thundaga.

I slashed at the Phalanx and casted my own Thunder spells, then a Water spell followed by an Aero. Sazh casted his Fira and Hope followed with his Watera, while Fang and Snow worked on the Ruinga spells. The machine's solid metal arm whacked Lightning to her side before she managed to evade the blow. Vanille worriedly casted her best Cura to help Lightning back to her feet, and followed the others' assault on the Phalanx shortly after.

"Put more power!" Lightning ordered and we focused on stronger spells to destroy the Phalanx. It let out the same strange whir and new Hoplites emerged from thin air. "Not again!" Snow groaned and casted his Blizzaga at the group of buzzing robots.

Fang and Sazh are finally able to destroy the Phalanx and Hope finished the rest quickly with a Thundaga spell. "We've gotta be careful when around those damn robots." Fang said while putting her lance back to the usual place. I followed her into the darkness and to the place where the fal'Cie Atomos may be waiting.

Soon enough, we saw a Juggernaut on a higher platform far away at the heights. I saw Hope smiling gleefully as he approached a lone Juggernaut, and climbing on it. But the machine went out of control and it started to swing randomly, with the teenager hanging on its back plate desperately. "Hey, hey! Stop doing that!" he yelled as the armament walked down to a drop-off.

"It's the Vile Peaks all over again." Lightning said while shaking her head at her subordinate's manners. "Kid's fond of these things." Sazh added. "I never knew that someone from Cocoon can control a Pulse armament. These things are for material digging stuff, and sometimes a war machine when it came to civil wars." I said.

The Juggernaut dropped down and also throwing Hope off its back onto a tunnel down below. "Hope, get out of there!" Lightning rushed to the drop-off worriedly at his well-being, and saw that the ground started to shake uncontrollably. "It's Atomos!" I exclaimed and saw the massive circular fal'Cie approaching Hope and the Juggernaut, and it seems like the fal'Cie didn't notice the two and continued to roll their way. _If nothing stopped Atomos from rolling, Hope can easily be crushed! _I thought in panic.

"No, please no!" Hope panicked and shielded himself from the massive fal'Cie and shut his eyes tight in fear of getting crushed. Three Juggernauts jumped down to stop the fal'Cie from rolling onto the poor teenager and the former Juggernaut joined in to stop Atomos.

The fal'Cie seemed to be telling the Juggernauts to go away and let him pass, but the seemingly stubborn armaments kept blocking Atomos's way. "No way!" Snow yelled in disbelief at the armaments that stopped Atomos from advancing. "Since when do robots have their own stubborn minds?!" I yelled too, and looked down to see that Atomos has stopped rolling. "Hey, that's a lesson." Sazh said. "Even a fal'Cie can't defeat the power of teamwork."

"Yeah, yeah, keep the advices for later, ol' man." Fang said. "I guess we can hitch a ride on this thing!" Snow suggested and walked to Atomos. "Now you're thinking Gran Pulse style!" Vanille added happily and followed him. "Fine, let's hop on trailblazer here, maybe we can find things." Fang said and followed her bubbly friend. "Stop," I said, and the three stopped walking to Atomos. "We can catch up with this thing later. We should uncover more areas, though."

Vanille let out a sigh and walked back. "See ya later!" she said with a giggle at the fal'Cie and skipped ahead to follow Lightning to the pathway ahead. The others and me followed them soon enough and walked into the dark depths.

We walked further and spotted some Rust Puddings around. "There's more Flan." Hope said half in disgust at the slimy things moving about. "Let's skip those things." Fang said and sprinted away from the pair of Flans and I followed behind her. "Hey, shouldn't the Flower-filled Fissure be around here?" I asked randomly at the two Oerbans.

"Yep, we'll find the place soon after this tunnel." Vanille replied. "Just... keep on walking to find the flowery place!" she added with a giggle. "Hey, I saw light over there." Snow said and pointed to a ray of light pouring into the dark cavern. "It's the fissure!" Vanille giggled and rushed to the light source, and Fang followed her friend.

"Aaah! The sun!" Vanille said happily and I rushed to see that the fissure is ahead of us. Colorful flowers filled the area along with lush green grass, and unlike other dark tunnels inside Mah'habara, this place is lively and colorful; there's even a small pond around the area, and the sky is clear with the various Wyverns flying about. The same plants that we saw in Yaschas are also present in the distance.

"We can stop for a while here." Lightning said as she sat down on the ground. Vanille is off examining the various flowers growing around the area, Hope is checking the pond to make sure that the water is clean, while Sazh is near a patch of flowers with his chocobo chick chirping happily and flying around the colorful flowers.

I picked a flower up and examined it. The flower had a beautiful purple hue with a sunny yellow center, and the petals had white ends. I recognized this flower as the Paddra crest flower, one than often grows around the Pass of Paddra and planted around the Front Plaza.

I saw in the distance that Fang is asking Vanille to come with her, away near the end of the fissure. It seems like the two are talking about something, but I can't make up the words that Fang is saying. Shrugging, I tossed the flower away and walked to the pond. "The water's clean." Hope said while cupping some water in his hands and sipping the liquid.

"It's cold. Strange." I said after taking a few gulps. I noticed that some flowers are growing around the pond, and some patches are concealed by a tuft of grass. Grinning, I took off my shoes and dipped my foot in the water. The water is cold, but not too cold compared to the water inside the small pool in my house. "I wish there are more people here." I mumbled and sat down on the pond's edge. "What happened to them, really?" Hope asked. "They died."

He backed away and shook his head, "I'm really sor—"

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Besides, the Cocoon army and the Cocoon fal'Cie are those who killed all the Pulsians in the War of Transgression." I said quickly to prevent him from saying it, or even worse, blaming himself. "I suspect that Barthandelus is the one plotting all this."

"He wanted to kill us, didn't he?" Hope asked sadly. "I don't think so. He didn't finish us off at every chance. He sent us to the Fifth Ark instead of killing us. He wanted us to survive, and when we did, we would doom the whole Cocoon to oblivion. And then the Maker would return and recreate the world. That's his bigger plan."

"Did you know where Vanille and Fang are?" he asked all of a sudden. "They're over there. I saw them talking, but I don't know what they're talking of." I motioned to the Oerbans standing a few feet away from us.

_Probably something's gonna happen soon enough..._

* * *

"Hey Fang, do you remember those flowers?"

Vanille questioned to her friend while examining a patch of flowers. "Sure. They grew all over Oerba." Fang answered from a few feet away.

"What's the matter, Fang?" she gave Fang a questioning look as the older Oerban grew silent. "It's me, isn't it?" Fang said all of a sudden. "I'm the one who became Ragnarok. I'm the one that scarred it in the first place."

Vanille's eyes widened.

_She knew it! _She thought in panic. _She knew my lie. W-What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do? _ "F-Fang..." she winced at how pathetic it sounded. "You lied to me," Fang said sharply. "N-No!" Vanille rejected quickly and backed away a few steps. "H-How could I?" She winced once again as a sharp wave of pain ran across her brand, as it started to glow brightly.

"You remembered it all. Why should you hide it from me? You knew. You knew that I was the one that became Ragnarok. You left me. You are afraid of the power to transform into Ragnarok." Fang's words sunk into the girl deeply. "What am I supposed to do?!" she questioned with tears in the corner of her eyes. "I don't know what to do, Fang. I'm very sorry!"

She let out a cry as runes exploded beneath her feet. The figure of Hecatoncheir appeared into view, and challenged his summoner into a test of strength. "We can talk about this later!" Fang said and readied her lance beside her. Vanille drew out her rod and got into a battle stance as Hecatoncheir readied his own, also mirroring her.

_I'm going to pay for all my lies._

* * *

**A/N: Umm... okay. I guess I gotta tell you something now.**

**Actually I planned to post this yesterday, but I forgot to turn the alarm on and I overslept. Sorry for another day's wait for me to post a new chap...**

**Until next time, and don't forget to tell me your thoughts for this fic.**

**~ Crystal**


	18. Chapter 18: Sullya Promises

**A/N: I've got a Spoilers Warning for this chap, this chap contains the Hecatoncheir Eidolon battle, so beware for any of you readers that haven't tamed the Eidolon.**

**I also had some problems in defeating Hecaton, I retried the battle for more than five times. But I finally defeated him, hee hee. So, here are my replies:**

**~ Atsirk Enoh: Umm... It's Paddra, not Pradda. I also had trouble locating the nation at first, so that means I'm finishing Mission 14: Defender of the Flock after I defeated Orphan. It's quite a shame. And the reason why Lightning had a hard time trusting her will be described more in this chap.**

**Okay, let's begin the eighteenth chapter.**

* * *

I heard sounds of yelling from one of the sides in the Fissure.

When we turned our heads at the source, we saw Hecatoncheir standing before Vanille and Fang. Lightning immediately suggested that we should help both, but I rejected her suggestion because the Eidolon was destined to be fought by those two.

Apparently, the summoner is Vanille, who was casting her best debilitating spells to the Eidolon while Hecatoncheir assaulted Fang, who volunteered to guard Vanille while the younger Oerban started to cast her spells at her Eidolon. "Come on, you can do it, Vanille!" Hope encouraged from the sidelines with a spark of worry in his voice. Seemingly, he was afraid of her well-being.

Snow and Sazh are also encouraging Fang to keep her guard on while Vanille attacks. We can't help those two in taming the Eidolon, so we decided to encourage them from here.

Come on 'Nille, you can tame your Eidolon!

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Fang let out a grunt as Hecatoncheir unleashed his Hurricane Kick and Quake spells. Vanille on the other hand, was trying her best to cast her strongest spells at her Eidolon while occasionally casting series of healing spells to her Sentinel friend.

She saw that Fang had some new scratches along her arms from Hecatoncheir's kicks and blows. Luckily the Mediguard and occasional Steelguard that she kept on had nullified most of the damage from the Eidolon's assault. He used a Force Projection that caused them both to be flying in the air before falling down again painfully.

After a few minutes Vanille started wheezing and panting from all the energy that she lost while pouring it in the spells she casted. Fang missed the chance to apply a Steelguard and was sent flying in the air instead, with no Guard spells applied beforehand. "Fang!" she yelled worriedly and rushed to help the older Oerban back to her feet. "I'm fine, 'Nille! Stop worrying about me, keep on casting those spell, okay?" Fang protested and applied an Entrench to keep her firm on the ground. "Back off!"

"But Fang—" "Now!"

Giving Fang a half-pout, Vanille went away farther from Hecatoncheir and casted a Blizzaga, then a Firaga and a Thundara. When she was about to cast the hundredth spell that day, her magic unfortunately ran out and nothing appeared on her hand, then she started to panic. _No, not now! I can't heal both of us if my magic ran out! _She thought in panic and used her Binding Rod instead, and the hooked wires clung on one of Hecatoncheir's many arms.

Hecatoncheir attempted to pry the wires off his arms and started to shake the bound arm, with Vanille struggling to keep a firm foot on the ground. Fang suddenly let her guard down and casted a series of Ravager spells followed by a Ruinga. That stopped the Eidolon from shaking his arm.

_Ah, I remember! I was the one packing up the Potions. I'll get one! _She thought quickly in relief and pulled out a vial of Potion from the small bag slung across her waist. She uncapped the vial and drank half of the liquid inside, put the cap back on and started to cast more spells at her Eidolon.

After about another ten minutes, Hecatoncheir finally yielded to his master and transformed into a near-similar machine to a Magitek Armor, before vanishing into thin air. "Fang..." Vanille folded her weapon and returned it to its usual resting place. "I'm really sorry..."

"You knew," Fang said while placing her lance back to its usual place. "You knew Ragnarok was the name of destruction." Vanille widened her eyes at those words, "It's not fair!" she exclaimed desperately. "You have to do all the horrible stuff, and I just sit and do noth—"

"That is no reason to lie to me!" Fang closed the distance between them both and raised her fist threateningly. "You think I wanted that?! You of all people!"

Vanille let out a scared cry and shut her eyes in anticipation, but instead of earning a painful punch Fang bopped her fist to Vanille's forehead instead. "Poor girl," she said, lowering her fist when Vanille had started to sob. "You've had it rough."

"Fang..." Vanille sobbed guiltily as fresh tears started to run down her pale cheeks. Fang let out a sigh at the sight, before pulling the younger Oerban into a tight hug and started to rub her back comfortingly, while Vanille just cried onto her older friend's shoulder. "Listen," Fang whispered. "You're not alone anymore. We have a new family now. We stick together, you hear me?"

She nodded, and continued to sob more.

_We promised, Fang. We promised._

_We actually had a new family now; there's Snow, his optimism encouraged me to move on. There's Hope, who always made me smile. There's Sazh and Lia, they cared for me and looked out for me too, and there's Lightning... Even though she rarely smiles, she told me to stay strong and be careful._

_And Serah and Dajh... even when they're not here, probably they're happy to see us like this._

_You're right, Fang... We're a family now._

* * *

The battle with Hecatoncheir had ended a few minutes ago. I saw Fang hugging Vanille, and I realized that the latter was crying and Fang saying something, but I couldn't make up the words that she's saying. But I know what to do now; move on to Sullya Springs and train more in Taejin's Tower before heading to Oerba, probably we will confront Barthandelus there.

"Hey, I guess it's time for us to return to Atomos, and head somewhere with him." I called out and waving a hand to both Vanille and Fang, signaling them to return here. "We should." Lightning confirmed and turned the previous route to Atomos again. " Vanille wiped her tears from far away and sniffled a bit, before returning back to her usual cheerful demeanor, following behind Lightning but always nearby Fang.

Hope walked away from the pond and followed his mentor soon enough, with Snow and Sazh following the boy quickly. I was the only one that hasn't left the area.

Suddenly my head was aching. It was like a headache, and it kept panging painfully. I dropped down to my knees and realized that the pain was a vision, and I heard the others yelling at each other in panic and they started to go back to where I was, and the last thing I saw was a panicked Vanille before the darkness enveloped my vision.

* * *

_- Vision -_

_It was a blurry image. I can't see it clearly. Something was standing clearly in front of me. No, that was someone. It was the very same woman I saw from the projection, but I can't see her facial features clearly. The first woman was speaking to the same dark-haired woman from the projection, and other people were also surrounding the two._

_The first was a tanned man with fiery red hair and dark brown eyes. I never knew who this person is, but I swore for Etro's sake that I saw a strange mark on his left upper arm. The second was a slender, silver-haired woman with eyes like molten gold. She bore the same mark on her right wrist. The third was a man with light brown hair and bright green eyes, albeit looking a little bit younger than the first._

_The fourth was a woman with golden blonde hair and light blue eyes, and she had a determined look on her face. The fifth and the final person was a man with light blue hair and icy blue eyes. I never recognized the five and the first two._

_But then the six people I saw transformed into the unbelievable, the first woman transforming into the same snake from the projection, the second into a tiger which seemingly was burning with flames, the third into a falcon with body made from gusts of wind, the fourth into a strange dragon that is made from stone, the fifth into a horse crackling with lightning, and the last into a wolf that breathes cold winds and capable of turning objects into ice._

_The six unrecognizable beasts left the place, and into the silent broad plains outside the structure._

_- Vision ends -_

* * *

I jolted awake as soon as the strange vision ends. I immediately cringed as my head throbbed again painfully and sat up more calmly. "The symbol," Vanille said, while covering her mouth with the hands. "It's the same as the one I saw in the seeress's eyes."

"Seriously?" Fang asked in disbelief at her younger friend, who nodded in confirmation. "That means—that means she's—"

"She's about to die." Vanile finished the sentence. I arched an eyebrow in confusion at the two Oerbans. "What do you mean? I can't die." I said. "What do you see?" Fang questioned sternly while nearing to me. "I saw six people, and another one, a woman. The other was the same one from the projection, but the image was so blurry that I can't see her face. And the six others are capable of transforming into beasts I've never seen in every history book, not even in the Oracles of Etro and the Analects."

"This is really confusing." Sazh scratched the back of his head. "First the projection, and then this weird vision." I narrowed my eyes at him, "My visions never lied. They're true." I rejected and tried to stand back up again, only to find that I can't do it myself. "Here, let me help." Snow offered and helped me to stand up again. I nodded my 'thanks' to him and looked over to the horizon. "About the drive you told me last night," Lightning suddenly said, "Where is the drive?"

I shook my head. "There's nothing left of that drive. It's gone."

"We can search for the drive, right?" Vanille said and stood back up. "That is a vain hope. No one has ever found that lost drive for ages." I replied and walked away from the others, and I can see from the corner of my eyes that they started to stand back up again and followed me to the path of Atomos.

* * *

_- Lightning's POV -_

_Strange. She saw something, I'm sure of it._

That was the only thought that ran across my mind. The same event was happening again around us, and this time Lia saw yet another confusing vision. She said that what she saw were seven people she did not recognize. This must be connected to the mysterious first Analect that she wrote so long ago.

I followed behind her as she made her way through the tunnels, and to Atomos. The Oerbans are insisting on riding Atomos to a place called the Sullya Springs, and figured out that there's a fallen tower called Taejin's Tower near the exit of the springs.

We arrived to Atomos's resting place and found out that the fal'Cie was still in place, not moving or rolling away from us. The cheerful Vanille immediately attempted to board the massive fal'Cie while giggling so often that it annoyed me to the breaking point. Fang helped the girl onto Atomos and boarded the fal'Cie herself. Snow and Hope boarded the fal'Cie soon after Sazh and Lia already did, and I climbed on it the last.

Atomos rolled his way through tunnels and more tunnels. While the others are enjoying the ride, I was thinking of something important. The mysterious drive that was said to contain visions saw by the seeress.

Lia wouldn't tell her what the name of the drive is. She only said that by touching the drive, visions are recorded or you will see the recorded vision that your heart desired. The one and only problem is, the drive wasn't anywhere near them. The drive was lost, and hard to find it.

She also said that the drive was an important recording apparatus to a nation called 'the Farseers'. But those Farseers were long gone when Paddra was destroyed, and seemingly the drive was also destroyed along with the war. And the seeress escaped the city with her 'Guardian' and a small bunch of her followers, and afterwards, they mysteriously disappeared.

None has found what is remained from the Farseers. None, but Paddra infested with hostile Cie'th.

"Light, what are you doing?" Hope approached me. I realized that Atomos had stopped rolling and we arrived in somewhere surrounded with water and rock platforms are around amidst the waters. "This is Sullya Springs. We're one step closer to Oerba." Fang said. I saw Lia approaching a certain place on a rock platform, seemingly examining the waters. Vanille joined in to examine the waters, and saw a bit of movement inside.

"Oh!" she exclaimed happily. "It's a fal'Cie!"

A whale-like figure appeared from the water and flipped around, before sinking in the depths again and new platforms rose from the water, also containing Orobons and Ceratoraptors along with their minions, Ceratosaurs. "It's Bismarck. He's the guardian of Sullya, and he will not anyone pass if you dared to harm the waters." Lia explained about the fal'Cie Bismarck.

"So, we're not allowed to get near the waters?" Snow questioned and examined a patch of herbal plants. "No. Bismarck's gonna eat you alive."

"Ouch. That hurt." Sazh said with slight humor, and we chuckled. I saw Vanille picking some leaves from a nearby bushy plant, and stuffed it in the bag slung across her waist. "Medicine," the orange-haired girl giggled and stuffed more. "They're really bitter. But it helps you feel better."

I looked around the area and saw Lia sending a strange glare to my eyes, and narrowed hers. What is she thinking? Is it when I don't believe about the Oracles of Etro?

That remained a mystery to me.

* * *

_- Lia's POV -_

I sent a glare at Lightning's way. She looks a bit puzzled, and I resumed examining the medicinal plants around. _Stupid you, _I cursed inwardly. _I'll make you pay for not believing in the Goddess._

"Hey sis," I heard Snow call out to Lightning. "Mind talking for a while?"

Lightning mouthed a 'yeah' and followed Snow to the open field, the Skyreach, just out of the Subterranean Lakes. "Hey Li, something on your mind?" Vanille questioned as always and tilted her head a bit to the side. "I _hate _it when anyone doesn't believe in the Goddess. She didn't trust me when I speak of the Farseers and the Oracles of Etro." Vanille hummed her response. "You mean... It _hurt _you when someone didn't trust the Farseers and Etro?" I nodded agreeably. "Well, like I said, that was normal. People from Cocoon didn't worship Etro, right? So... that's still expected."

"But I still don't like it if anyone dared to oppose the Goddess. And I also hate it when anyone hated the Farseers. They saw the Eyes of Etro didn't bring joy and prosperity, instead they saw death and destruction." I gave her a logical reason. Well, at least to me.

"Guess I'll catch up later, then." She said and left to Fang. I saw that we were running out of provisions, and I decided to go out looking for the Orobons spread all around the Springs. I found three Orobons crowded together on a rock platform and I summoned Arcus.

"Time to die!" I yelled and fired an arrow to the first Orobon's throat and stabbed the second, before decapitating the third and all three Orobons dropped dead. I cleaned the carcass of the moist scales and the flaps. I cut out the best parts into strips and I stuffed them inside the pouch I retrieved from Fang a few minutes ago. I checked the smaller pouch and found out that all the salt had run out. Even worse, I can't find anymore Caldana plants around, but I do find some chili pepper plants around so I picked a bunch and stuffed those into the latter pouch.

"This thing smells fishy." I grabbed both pouches and brought them back to the others. "Hey there," Fang called out from her sitting spot. "Whaddya got there?"

"Orobon, and some chili to eat those. Besides, the meat's already salty enough, so I don't need the salt. And the salt is out, too." I replied and handed her the pouch. She checked the contents immediately and grinned, "Sweet. C'mon 'Nille, let's cook."

"Wait, I thought you can't cook a thing?" Vanille questioned from her sitting spot and stood up to find some twigs. "You always burnt everything you cooked." We all laughed at Fang's inability to do so, while the huntress pinched her temples. "That's right, you won, 'Nille."

We laughed again as Vanille began to prepare the fire with a Fira spell.

"I swore to you, I _will _make Serah happy. No matter what," Snow said with a determined look. "I believe you, hero. You will protect her. I knew it." Lightning replied and gently pressed her fist to his back. She was unsure of this, but it was like that she was almost crying for her sister. "We'll save Serah. And Cocoon, and Gran Pulse." He said.

"I have something to ask you. I wonder why Lia is behaving differently to me these days." Lightning said, "It's like... she hated me for a reason." Snow turned around to face his soon-to-be-sister-in-law. "It looks like you've done or said something wrong." This was unusual. If she'd look for advices, it would be always to Serah. But now she was asking Snow; the idiot that she absolutely detested ever since the beginning of all this l'Cie mess.

"I guess you're right, then."

Lightning said to Snow as he tossed Serah's crystal tear up and caught it again. "It looks like she's disappointed because you denied the existence of the 'Farseers'. Or so she said." He added again. "i don't trust her fully."

"I guess you gotta cheer her up, then." He said and pocketed the tear. "Hey, I remember something." Lightning listened to the blonde man eagerly. "I've talked to Vanille and Fang for a while. Vanille said that she hated it when anyone didn't trust the Goddess or her oracles. Fang also said the same thing." She nodded, "She sent a strange glare my way. It seems like she hated something that I've done."

"She's quite stubborn, actually." Snow chuckled a little. "Always like the, 'Behave-or-die' type."

_Same as Serah. _Lightning thought quietly. "Just keep your spirits lifted, hero." She said and returned back to the others in the Subterranean Lake.

She saw Lia, Vanille and Fang grilling some meat, but she didn't know from what animal it came from. She can see a pile of scales nearby, and the items looked moist. So she guessed that the meat came from the Orobons nearby. They also had a bunch of chopped chili nearby.

Sighing, Lightning walked to join the others.

* * *

I grabbed a pinch of the chopped chili and sprinkled it over the grilled meat. "Hey 'Nille, remember to watch your hands." I reminded the orange-haired girl and she nodded back with a giggle while grabbing a bit of the chili and sprinkled it over her share.

"Where are the others?" Fang asked and grabbed her share. "I don't know."

"Hey there, sorry we're late." Hope said and passed the rest to the others. "Where've you been?" "Nowhere, I guess we're just slacking by the water." Sazh replied. "And what about the hero?" I asked the two of them and they shrugged. "I'm here." Snow's voice sounded from away as he approached us with Lightning beside him.

They both sat down as we ate in silence. Snow was the first one to break up the awkward silence.

"So..." he began, "We're gonna go to Oerba. That old timer fal'Cie may be waiting for us there. If he really is, what's the strategy?" Hope was the first one to answer the question. "Ask Light." He said, and pointed to his mentor. "The usual strategy." She replied flatly. "Honestly, I'm not sure that we can defeat him." Sazh said from the distance. "Hey, don't let your spirits down, old man." Fang assured while eating her share. "Yeah, we'll always be able to overpower Barthandelus! So keep smile, okay?" Vanille added to her friend's sentence.

"We can always be able to train in Taejin." I suggested. "The statues in there will be a good method to train. There are seven tiers and the Spire, and countless missions are there."

The others nodded slowly in agreement. "Now there's another question; decipher what the vision meant." Fang said again and that reminded me of the strange vision. "I'm not sure." Snow said while scratching the back of his head. "It's too weird."

"Looks like I remember something, though." I said all of a sudden. "There's a legend that mentions a place at the end of time. The land is said to be made of nothing but crystal. There's a shrine in there, but I forgot to who does the shrine is dedicated to."

As soon as I said that another strange feeling appeared. Voices are echoing in my head, and the headache appeared again.

_Yes, the realm of a new goddess._

Before I knew what was happening, I started to feel lightheaded like I was going to collapse anytime soon. The feeling was almost excruciating; it hurt so much like hell.

_Find this realm... soon. The Goddess will give you guidance over your path._

"Find this realm... soon. The Goddess will give you guidance over your path." I repeated what the voice said. "What realm? What are you talking of?" Lightning questioned beside me. "The realm—"

_Of crystal. Anomalies of the timeline led to a distortion. It will absorb you to the realm._

"Of crystal. Anomalies of the timeline led to a distortion. It will absorb you to the realm." I repeated what the voice said once again. And before I realized it, I blacked out the second time this day.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the whole scenery changed to the said realm. It was silent and barren; no color is present as everything is made of crystal as clear as glass.

Then I saw the true face of the woman, she had blue hair the same shade as mine. I thought it was a clone of myself, but then I saw the woman's eyes... both are in the color of dark amethyst. The woman wore a bright white gown with golden accents and jewelry with red gems on it, a pair of golden armband with a red gem in the middle and satin ballet flats, in the same color scheme. There was a symbol embroidered in gold to her dress and I recognized it as the similar symbol on my shoulder blade.

"It can't be," I muttered in disbelief. "Etro... is this the new deity you meant?"

_Yes, you are reincarnation of the Goddess. She shared the similar appearance as you are... but you lived in different realms. A part of you sat on the Goddess's throne in this realm, and a part of you lived a normal life as a human in the land of Gran Pulse._

The voice was gone all of a sudden from the realm. I saw a figure materializing from thin air, and I recognized the figure as the woman who transformed into the falcon. "Are you afraid of me?" she questioned gently and I shook my head no. "Ah, my apologies. I must introduce myself. I am Zephyr, your faithful maiden."

"Do you know what this realm is?" was Zephyr's first question directed to me. "I have no knowledge of this place." I replied her, and she chuckled a bit. "This realm was to contain the souls of those who turned to crystal after completing their Focus. You will discover soon."

Then she vanished before me. I started to walk to find the other five that I haven't seen and met. The air before me turned distorted and the man with the fiery red hair appeared. Instead of me speaking first he cut me off, "I am Ignis. I was guarding this realm's safety along with you." Ignis introduced himself. "Did you know that you are the incarnation of the Goddess?"

"No." I replied honestly. "Then it is like I assume." He said, and with that he vanished into thin air like Zephyr. Another figure appeared soon enough and it was the man who transformed into the dragon. "And you are?" I questioned, and the man smiled softly. "I am Gaia. I'm an earth dragon, if you haven't noticed." I saw that Gaia was easy-going and informal like the other two. "We're just spirits of the dead that are granted power from you. But miserably we're chained to you for an eternity."

Then he vanished. "That was... horrible." I said softly. I walked around the silent plains and I met another spirit. "I am Enix. I'm the one you saw transform into the wolf." Enix introduced himself. "I am the one that guarded your shrine." He said and vanished like the other spirits did.

Another spirit appeared soon enough. The last spirit was no other than the woman that transformed into the horse. "My name is Fulmen." She introduced herself simply. "Now you know that this place is to contain spirits of crystallized people. Now you know all of us, the elemental spirits. And I feared that this is the time for you to return to your own realm, the Seen World."

"I'm afraid so." I replied lowly. "We will meet again, I promise."

In a flash, Fulmen made the whole world black and return me to Gran Pulse, back to the others and where they are waiting, at Sullya Springs.

* * *

I jolted awake as soon as the dream ended. "I know who the new deity is!" I exclaimed to the others and making them a bit surprised. "Who is it? Tell us!" Vanille said eagerly, as if she can't wait any longer for the answer.

"I met new people from the vision in a realm filled with nothing but crystal. They said that the deity is... me, sadly." The others' expressions dropped. "No way." Hope said in disbelief. "I swear Hope, I'm not lying. The deity labeled as 'Wisdom' was me. I know it's unbelievable."

"You mean you don't trust me?" I said sharply. "Fine then."

I stood up quickly and left the others, regardless of their protesting yells and pleading. I was on the peak of my patience, and I decided to go to Taejin by myself. I stopped a while at the Skyreach and I sat down on the cliff's edge. I glanced at the starry sky and sighed, picking up a nearby flower. "Damn it," I cursed. "So hard to trust..."

I heard light footsteps nearby and figured out that it was Lightning who approached me. "Look," she let out a soft sigh. "I'm very sorry."

"For what?" I questioned sharply to the former soldier. "For not trusting you."

I turned around to face her, and she gave me an apologetic look. "I'm having a hard time to trust you because I considered most of your words didn't make sense to me. But then I realized that you have proof of everything you said."

"I don't believe much of Pulse's legends, that's because I'm born on Cocoon. But then I learned some because I'm simply curious about your homeland, and I found a book that mentions a place called 'Valhalla'. And you, you're a true Pulsian, you also said that Valhalla existed. So I easily trusted that. But when you told me about the drive and the Farseers... I don't believe they existed simply because there's no proof for the objects."

"Those existed. The Farseers are the clan that led the nation of Paddra. They come from the Nsu clan, my clan. They had the ability to see the future by a gift that was blessed by the Goddess long ago." I explained to Lightning after a few minutes of silence. "And the drive... well, the core's made of an extremely rare crystal that is believed to be the seed substance of gates."

"The crystal core saves the visions when the drive is touched by the Farseer. It's an important thing, and we lost it all of a sudden. The same happened to the next drives that we spent a lot of time to create. What needs time and patience is how the way you get the crystal core and shape it properly so that the visions will never be gone."

"That's a hard way to make a drive." Lightning said. "I'm not pretty familiar with the creatures around here. Mind explaining the critters to me so we can fight them properly next time?"

I nodded in reply. "The Adamantoise is the undisputed king of the Steppe along with its twin, the Long Gui. Both are the strongest creature in the whole Gran Pulse. Never engage them unless you're ready. They're like this half-elephant-half-tortoise-half-dinosaur creature." Lightning hummed her response. "The flans and leeches that inhabit damp areas are quite a nuisance. They're small, but disturbing and most dangerously, they can even absorb life."

"The beasts that ran across the Steppe are the most abundant creature in Gran Pulse. They often ganged up on their target and quite agile." "You mean like the Gorgonopsids and Megistotherians?"

"Yeah. The Behemoths that roam the Steppe are dangerous, but if you notice something their large bodies made their attacks rather sluggish if the target was close. They're also weak to wide-ranged spells."

"The terraquatics and Sahagins inhabit the waters, like the lake in the Steppe or here in Sullya Springs. They attack in crowds and can be hard to defeat."

"The Ochus around the Aggra's Pasture can summon smaller allies called a Microchu or a Picochu. These 'smaller Ochus' attacked in groups against a single target. So be careful and keep cautious eyes on those critters. You've done asking?" Lightning said a 'yeah' and nodded a bit. "Pulse is dangerous." She said.

"Back to business," she said again after a brief silence. "Look, now we should stick together and start look out for each other. We have to cooperate if we wanted to defeat Barthandelus. So now we must learn to trust each other. So, there's nothing like this again, you hear me?" "Right."

"Come on; let's go back to the camp."

I nodded and stood back up, before following her to the others.

_Tomorrow we're going to Taejin's Tower, and meet the fal'Cie Dahaka if we can._

_And then we'll be going to Oerba, and probably face Barthandelus there. Come on, Barthandelus... I dare you to try and kill us if you can. If all your four lives had ended, then may you be damned to wander the Void Beyond endlessly._

* * *

**A/N: Ah, finally both of them made up. I can't keep both yelling at each other, so I planned this all night for an update. The next chap will be about Taejin's Tower, and we're just a few steps closer to Oerba (and the second Barthandelus battle, dammit).**

**So... just wait up for the update! I'll type more after this.**

**~ Crystal**


	19. Chapter 19: Taejin's Tyranny

**A/N: This whole chap will be about traversing the Taejin's Tower. I also hated the tower ever since I came to finish it and Dahaka off; if you don't finish the missions then you'll NEVER proceed.**

**I was stuck at first, but I found out that the tower was pretty easy save for the Dahaka boss battle. I was listening to 'Primarch Dysley' while typing this one here (not a proper theme that I should listen to for Taejin, huh?) and it's not exactly my favorite track.**

**Hey, beware for the spoilers here; I'll mention every single mission that you must accomplish all around Taejin's Tower, including the mission that involved the Waystone you found at the Palisades.**

**Umm... Sorry if I don't get the tiers and how you accepted the missions right... with the same reason; I haven't played this game for YEARS and it's most likely that I'll forget about the tiers.**

**Enjoy the nineteenth chapter!**

* * *

I was awake after a whole night's sleep. We were about to face all the challenges in Taejin's Tower; so a good night's rest should do me some good for today.

I saw the others starting to stir and wake up. Stretching, I decided to look around the Skyreach—just in case for anything that might happen. There's nothing there except for those Wyverns flying about to greet the dawn. "Nothing's here. Probably I should check up on the others." I walked back to the camp and found out that the others are packing the provisions and the leftover meat. "Are you guys sure that the provisions are enough? I'm not sure that we can clear out the tower in one night."

Vanille nodded and checked the Potions—twice. "Yeah. Oh, when I was battling Hecaton, I drank half a vial of Potion. Is that okay?" I nodded back, "Of course."

"We have to leave as early as possible." Lightning said in her usual steady tone of voice. "We can afford to let some old fal'Cie stop us." Fang added. "Ready? Once we go, we might not come back." I said to the others, and Snow gave me a thumbs-up and Hope nodded, while Sazh just nodded lazily. "Okay. Let's go then!" Vanille skipped to the head of the party and I followed behind her along with Lightning to make sure that the bubbly girl didn't do anything harmful.

We walked past the Skyreach and to a tunnel filled with glowing plants and mushrooms, though the glow is a bit dimmed due to the sun's rays that are pouring through the tunnel's entrance.

We walked through a deserted gorge and found Taejin's Tower ahead of us. It was strange to see the tower has toppled over into two pieces; the tower was still intact at my time, and the whole Gran Pulse can see Taejin reaching the sky from any direction. I saw in the distance was fal'Cie Dahaka, shooting off light beams at the wyverns that dared to enter through the opening. "Hey, that was the thing we saw at Vallis Media!" Hope exclaimed upon sight of the draconic fal'Cie.

"Careful. Dahaka is really possessive about the tower. Anyone that dared to enter the tower and reveal its secrets will be killed off by him." Fang explained to us and we walked with more carefulness. We spotted a Waystone nearby and I activated it. "This one wanted us to kill a Chieftain, two Goblins, a Maestro and a Munchkin. Is that okay?"

"It's okay as long as it provided some sort of training for us." Vanille replied and headed to the group of Goblins near the entrance to the tower. "Wait up, Vanille." Fang called out and followed her younger friend to where the Goblins are gathered.

As soon as those creatures spotted us they let out a shrilling shriek and glided with its wheel-like feet to us. "Be ready for anything!" Lightning ordered and we obeyed quickly while starting to cast random spells on ourselves and the Goblins.

The Maestro enhanced its lone Munchkin companion and it aimed a Goblin Punch at Snow, who blocked it with his Steelguard. Lightning casted her random Thunder spells and I followed with my own Blizzaga at the group of Goblins. Hope and Sazh shared a Protect for all of us and soon followed the assault. Fang jabbed randomly at the Munchkin and killed it off quickly, before moving on to the Maestro herself.

When I wasn't noticing, a Goblin punched me on the back of my injured left thigh and the Goblin's fist hit me dead straight on the wound. I let out a cry as I pressed a Regen. It seems like wound wouldn't be closing quickly. I slashed continuously at the second Goblin and jabbed it, ending its life instantly and casted more spells to the third Goblin. The first one had already been killed by Sazh and Lightning, the Maestro had been finished off, and the Chieftain is the only problem that is left for us to deal with.

The Chieftain enhanced itself with Goblinhancement and aimed a Goblin Punch at Fang, who blocked it with her lance. I casted a Thundaga at the Chieftain and it electrocuted the creature, before Lightning fired bullets at it and Fang stabbing the thing to death. I saw from the distance that a mysterious grey aura surrounded the Waystone's core.

_Sweet dreams, _I thought. We walked to the entrance, the Tyrant's Gate. After navigating through the narrow corridor, we found ourselves in the Ground Tier of the tower. "Did you hear that?" Vanille asked and started to look around the area. "Yeah, like voices in my head." Hope replied and looked around. There's no one inside, but it seemed like the statues are almost... alive.

"Of course, the Menhirrims!" I exclaimed and neared a Menhirrim with Fang. "He said, 'Go now and leave this place at once. Your presence here draws the Tyrant's gaze'." She translated the whispers of the statues.

"We won't leave, but we will give a solution to your problems if you had any. We'll clear this tower for all of you." I replied the statue's statement. The statues' voices are heard again. "He said, 'So be it! Look for us, and the path will be opened unto you. There is evil lurking in this tower, and we need you to free us from our slavery by the Tyrant of the Tower'."

"'Tyrant of the Tower'? Sounds like Dahaka." Vanille said, and walked to the statue. "No worries, we will free you, but only if you show us the way."

As if on cue, the swords that the Menhirrims held are stabbed onto the ground, and it activated the circular elevator nearby as it went down the path and onto the middle of two stone ramps. "Sweet." Fang said and boarded the machine. I pushed the lever inside as soon as everyone was inside, and off we go to the Second Tier.

* * *

"Dahaka!" We saw the fal'Cie approaching us and seemingly in fury. This was confirmed when Dahaka launched a ball of fire magic at us and the walls collapsed, creating a huge hole on it. The rubbles are on fire and those blocked the access around the corridor of the tier. We had nothing else to do but go through the huge hole and into a room.

We found a Menhirrim soon enough around the Second Tier. "Show me what you want." I spoke to the stone statue as if it could understand me. But it could, and whispers are heard across the room. "He wanted us to kill a Gelatitan. And we won't advance unless he and his two brethrens' strength are restored to normal. I bet it's his lost sword."

"Okay if that's what it takes to advance to the next tiers. We've still got five other tiers and the spire to finish off." Snow replied and nodded. We found the target around the room we were in. The Gelatitan we fought was big, slimy and of course gelatinous like its name.

"Use thunder magic!" Hope, who had recently found the Flan's weakness, told us to cast more thunder magic at the slimy Flan. "I don't have Thunder! I'll use something else." Snow protested and casted his Blizzard spells instead. The Flan twirled a three hundred and sixty with its arms lashed out to slap us; the blow knocked us back a few steps but not to the ground. I guess we're improving, after all.

"I saw something!" Vanille said and casted more of her Thundara spells. "There's something beating inside the Gelatitan!"

"Then strike that organ, whatever it is!" Fang yelled and tried to jab her lance at the Gelatitan, but the blow missed as the Flan's elasticity overcame Fang's attacking speed. "Get that thing, Light!" I yelled to Lightning who was backing off to cast spells. Lightning was the fastest attacker in our group, so it would be a piece of cake for her stabbing the heart.

Lightning nodded her response back and rushed to greet the Gelatitan with a sweet, sweet death. She executed her Army of One that hit the Flan's exact weak spots with all the kicks, firings and slashes, until the final stab granted it death.

I glanced to the Menhirrim and saw a sword materializing on his hands, and he stabbed his sword to the ground but nothing happened. "That's the first part of the quest. Now we go and get the others." Sazh said while returning his guns back to their respective holsters. I sensed that a new Menhirrim has materialized in the other room.

We walked outside to check on things—most importantly making sure that Dahaka isn't around, so I assumed that the conditions outside are clear and we moved on to the next room. "That's the Menhirrim. Let's go check it out." Hope pointed to a new Menhirrim, the same as the first one. The sword is also missing from the statue's hand.

Whispers filled the room once again. "He wanted us to kill an Ambling Bellows and two Cryptoses." Vanille this time translated the statue's wish. And I know the thing's in an empty room around here."

We rushed outside as soon as we accepted the mission. Vanille spotted an open door nearby and immediately went inside the room. "See?" she motioned to the lone Ambling Bellows and its fellow pair of Cryptos. "Just like the Boxed Phalanx. It's Mah'habara all over again." Lightning complained to the appearance of the robot-thing and took out her Blazefire Saber.

"It's not that bad, just a pair of stupid mine robots." Hope said while taking out his Airwing. Apparently the teenager had kept reminding himself that this place was the spookiest place he'd ever seen.

"Not used to the dim blue fire Hope?" I teased and the others laughed, now unaware of the three robots at the room's corner. "That's not funny." He muttered under his breath and approached the robots. "Be ready!"

The Ambling Bellows immediately turned its attention on us and invited its fellow Cryptoses into the battle. "Cryptos first!" Fang yelled and attacked the first Cryptos with Vanille and Snow, while I took care of the second with Lightning, Hope and Sazh. After the first Cryptos was dead the first three people started to fight the Ambling Bellows itself. After the second Cryptos were dead we moved on to the Ambling Bellows and following the others in casting our best spells.

Fang launched a Ruinga together with Snow's, and both spells exploded, also launching the robot in the air. Taking in the opportunity, I casted an Aerora to keep it airborne while the others attacked the robot, that is, until I managed to wreck its core.

"It's done. That's an easy battle." I said while dismissing my weapon. I peeked back into the previous room and I found out that the sword has returned to its resting place, and that a new Menhirrim is present. "Come on guys, it's the last Menhirrim to complete this tier." Fang said and led the party to the previous room. She activated the dormant statue and it whispered the mission to us. "Hm... A Gurangatch. We've gotta kill it to finish the tier and gain access to the secondary elevator." Vanille translated the statue's words.

"We've gotta go now. Come on." Lightning said and we started searching around the tier for the Gurangatch. We found the beast wandering inside the last room where we fought the Ambling Bellows and the Cryptoses.

_We've gotta fight that thing, or else it's bust. If we refused to complete the missions then... we have to turn back to the Palisades. That means we're not gonna reach Oerba anytime soon, because this is the only way to reach that village. _I thought for a while. We _have _to fight the Gurangatch, regardless if it's weak or not.

The armadillon let out a long hiss as soon as it spotted us entering the room. We drew out our weapons and the battle begun. The Gurangatch was hard to damage at first, but I know at times when it is cornered it will feel a bit scared and the feeling caused the large protective scales to shatter. "It's like those things we fought in Sunleth and the engine bay, right Vanille?" Sazh called out to the orange-haired Oerban and she nodded back. "They're really tough!"

Lightning casted a final Water spell as the Gurangatch staggered back a few steps and the scales shattered. "Okay, now's our chance!" Hope yelled as she casted his best Ravager spells, Vanille her debilitating spells to weaken the armadillon and Fang is juggling the creature in the air. I leaped and pinned it to the ground right at its heart.

The Menhirrim's sword is restored and now the three of them activated the secondary elevator nearby in a new room. We returned to where the blockade of fiery rubbles was, and the Menhirrims appeared. They extinguished the flames in a flash and granted us passage into the room where we will find the secondary elevator to use. When we were about to enter the room where the elevator was, a dark shadow appeared above us and I realized that it was Dahaka.

"Damn it!" Fang cursed and pulled out her lance. Dahaka was about to launch an attack when the same three Menhirrims appeared again in a burst of white light and challenged the fal'Cie. He was about to attack when the warriors had cut a halfof his tail clean off. Dahaka flew away and the Menhirrims disappeared in a flash.

"Thanks!" Vanille waved gratefully to the warriors before they were gone. "They saved us. Why?" Hope wondered and pocketed his boomerang back. "I guess Dahaka wasn't a fal'Cie after all." I answered. "The Menhirrims are trying to fight a _fal'Cie_. Could it be possible? Dahaka can burn them to bits, proven that the statues are just only stones."

"Come on, we've gotta move to the secondary elevator onto the Third Tier!" Fang protested and we followed her into the room. The elevator was already up and running, surely we'll be able to travel the tower and finish it off as soon as possible.

We rushed to where the elevator was and activated it. Once we reached the Third Tier, we can see anything but Menhirrims. "There's nothing here!" Hope exclaimed and went down the stairs. "There's no Menhirrims. We're still a long way to the Cloven Spire." I said and while examining the tier. There's nothing but Pulsework Gladiators and Mánagarmrs around. "It looks like we have to find something around here." Lightning said curtly and walked away.

I followed her down the set of stairs and onto the second tier. We fled from three Gladiators and I looked around for any signs of Menhirrims. Nothing is present in the second tier but machines and creatures, but I saw that the elevator's rails are disconnected. Taejin's Tower was now a confusing maze.

"There's the elevator railing, but it was disconnected. This tower needs some twisting to untie the knots around here." I said to the others, and they groaned. "Now this tower thing's like a maze." Snow groaned and walked away. "I guess that dragon-fal'Cie ruined the stroll-through-the-park mode. He wants us to be trapped here." Sazh concluded with a mix of slight humor and annoyance.

"Dahaka never wished for us to infiltrate his _precious _tower. He wants us to leave, but we're here to help those statues. So what to do now?" Fang questioned while putting her hands on her hips. "Let's go look around. Maybe there's a hidden Menhirrim that will help us." Vanille said and skipped outside the room.

"Hey Vanille, don't go away! You might invite monsters!" The older Oerban chased her friend and we rushed to follow her outside. "See? A new room! And there's a Menhirrim inside!" The younger Oerban rushed into the room to greet the statue.

I noticed that something is a bit off. The Menhirrim, unlike the others, still had the stone sword in place. It seems like this one doesn't need anything from us. Lightning examined it and the statue, oddly speechless, stabbed its sword to the ground and I felt the whole tier twisting. The glowing elevator rails had come in place again, but something still feels a bit different.

"Wait, this room's position isn't here in the first place. What happened?" Snow wondered and walked outside to see that the whole tier feels entirely different. "We fixed the Third Tier. Now we can grab the elevator and proceed to the Fourth Tier." Fang replied and rushed to the previous room, only to be greeted by the previous Gladiators that we avoided. "Damn it!"

"We have to fight those! They can't let us through unless we destroy the robots!" Hope yelled and pulled out his boomerang, prompting another battle that we supposedly avoid. Oh, joy.

I know that these Pulsework robots are a little slow, but when their AI locates and confirms the target, they walked faster than usual. I casted my Waterga to attack all of them and fired at the first Gladiator. Vanille casted her Fira spells and Snow his Blizzara, while Fang worked on her Ruinga and attacked the third Gladiator.

Lightning brought down the second with pure luck as her bullets went through the Gladiator's tough armored body and struck its core, and it collapsed to the ground. Sazh fired rapidly at the third and his bullets went through its armor, also striking its core and destroying it. I stabbed the last remaining Gladiator with as much force as I could put in and it was also destroyed.

"They're prone to physical attacks. I wonder why, these are usually quite a challenge to defeat." Fang commented as she placed her lance back to its usual place. "I guess they're a bit rusty. They're not taken care properly for centuries until their artificial intelligence had a mind of their own." Snow arched his eyebrows in confusion. "Really? I thought... Pulsians never knew about AI."

I scoffed, "We were as advanced as you are. Believe it or not hero, we built a giant war machine by ourselves without the help of _every single fal'Cie from Gran Pulse._"

"Oh yeah, that machine. It's kinda weird and scary, but at least it's effective." Vanille said with a giggle. "What machine? My memories are a bit rusty here." Fang commented and Vanille stood on her tip-toes and whispered something to her friend, whom nodded in confirmation. "Oh, you mean that."

"Okay, enough talk. Where's the elevator? I thought we already fixed the whole tier into place?" Sazh looked around with slight confusion. I walked to the semi-transparent thin layer of magic that covered the circular gates to the elevator and touched it. The barrier vanished and the elevator went down to greet us and take us to the Fourth Tier. The others followed me into the elevator and Fang pushed the lever with her foot. "Fang, mind your manners." Vanille reminded her older friend who nodded back.

The elevator rolled up and stopped at the Fourth Tier. Like the previous floor, the rooms are twisted and they're not in their proper places. No Menhirrims with missions are present, but the creatures we saw are totally different from the previous rooms, ranging from Cie'th to the monopod Demons. "Looks like this isn't our lucky tier." Snow said jokingly. We chuckled a bit and tried to avoid the Varcolacis around, but miserably those unusual Cie'th caught up with us.

"Oh come on!" I groaned and summoned my weapon again the umpteenth time today. The Cie'th like all unusual Cie'ths did, casted a protective barrier around it and prevented us from dealing heavy damage to its body. We are forced to cast as many spells as we could until it was weakened so the barrier will be gone and we can kill it.

Around fifteen minutes later, the Cie'th dropped dead to the ground and faded away into black mist, freeing the soul of the person within the accursed body. I decided to keep Arcus in my hand in case of any battles so I don't need to summon it once again. We walked outside of the room and found some of the Yakshas around the next room. I know these things are agile; there is no possibility for us to avoid the battle with the demons.

As soon as it spotted us, it let out a long screech and forced me to cover my ears. Luckily their fellow Yakshini aren't around the area, so the battle was pretty easy compared to when the Yakshinis are present to assist the Yakshas.

We killed those demons and found a Menhirrim soon enough. When Vanille activated it, as usual the stone sword was plunged to the ground and the whole tier twisted and connecting the elevator's rails.

"Where to go now..." I heard Lightning mumbling and she walked outside to take a look at the rooms' positions. "They're in place now. This is the Taejin's Tower I knew." Vanille said and followed behind the soldier to reach the elevator to the new Fifth Tier. When we reached it, the elevator isn't there, but the semitransparent barrier is still there. Figuring out what to do, Lightning touched the barrier and the elevator went down. We boarded it to reach the new Fifth Tier.

The Fifth Tier doesn't look like it was normal. The tier was twisted like the previous two tiers are, and that means we have to navigate around the tier. "Did I just saw a Tyrant?" I said and looked to the room's corner. "What, that Tyrant or Dahaka?" Fang questioned beside me. "No, the mechanical Tyrant that looks like a Berserker, not that fal'Cie."

"Oh, we better avoid it." She replied and walked slowly to the room's door. "Wait, there's a Menhirrim." I stopped her and turned back to approach the new swordless statue. It let out whispers like usual Menhirrims did, and it told me to kill a Mushussu in the Fifth Tier. A blinding flash of light appeared in one of the room's corners as our target came in place.

Sadly enough, the Mushussu was accompanied by a pair of the enhancer Yakshinis. That means we have to kill off the latter two before they managed to enhance the former first. "This tower made me dizzy." Sazh complained and drew his guns out. "Better be than flying all the way to Oerba. You'll have to dangle on Bahamut's tail again." Fang joked and drew out her lance as well, prompting the marks to engage us in a battle.

True enough, the first Yakshini used danced a Catastrophic Dance and the second danced a Frenzied Dance to debilitate and enhance, respectively, while the Mushussu started to sting randomly with its barbed tail and charged up the energy stored for a Spin Attack, all the while bestowing Haste and Protect on itself.

Vanille had tried to cast a Deprotect, but the spell was always canceled when the Mushussu re-casted its Protect spell—twice, therefore the buff still remained in place. Fang tried to re-cast Deprotect but ended up with the same result, and yelled out an annoyed, "Are you kidding me?!" and gave up in trying to debilitate the creature as the Saboteur spell triggered the thing to re-cast the buffs.

Lightning successfully killed the first Yakshini that was debilitating us, but at the price of its Catastrophic Dance being done first before she had a chance to plunge Blazefire into its heart. Vanille, Hope and me casted a quick Esuna to remove the Deprotect that was inflicted on us, and Sazh worked his way on killing the second Yakshini.

Enough sapped energy was stored first in the Mushussu's body and it performed Spin Attack on Hope—lowering his defense against the creature. He tried to ignore it, but I knew that was a wrong move as the flying stalker was stronger than it sounds. Lightning helped her subordinate by casting some Esuna to remove all debuffs that are inflicted.

Snow and Fang are trying to cast their respective Ruinga, only for Fang's to be canceled when the Mushussu stung her first at the upper arm, and she felt her energy sapped into the creature. She casted another Ruinga soon enough to cancel another sting that was aimed to Sazh.

I fired at the creature's abdomen and with some luck, one of the arrows struck its heart and it dropped dead to the ground. The Menhirrim's sword came in place and he whispered a 'Thank you' to us. I sensed that yet another Menhirrim has appeared on the next room. "Another Menhirrim has appeared. It's in the next room."

We walked to the next room and true enough, a new statue has appeared and Fang immediately activated the statue. "Is this statue joking about the mark?" she said in confusion. The statue repeated what he said to us, and he said that the mark was in the next tier instead here. "But... there's no elevator here, at least not yet." I said too in confusion. As if on cue, a new Menhirrim appeared and stabbed his stone sword into the ground, and the whole tier spun into place.

The elevator to the next tier rolled down. "Weird, in the previous room, there's also a place for another elevator. I'm not seeing illusions, right?" Sazh questioned as he boarded the elevator. "No. There are two different elevators here, the main and secondary elevator." Vanille explained.

The elevator rolled to the Sixth Tier and stopped in the middle of the ride all of a sudden. I banged at the door but it wouldn't open. "We're trapped. The elevator stopped, the railings seemingly had a problem." The others groaned. "Are there any doors on the top?" Hope examined the ceiling and Fang shook her head no. "The elevators here aren't like yours in Cocoon. No emergency doors."

"So we just got locked inside this cramped place?" he started to panic a bit while wondering how to make it work again. "Well, at least we're together." Snow said and folded his arms over his chest. Vanille tried to push the lever, but the lever won't budge even an inch. "Now I know the problem. We've gotta push the lever until it clicks, this thing's stuck. Only then will this elevator work again."

"I'll try." Snow moved in front of the lever and pushed it as hard as he could. "It's not working."

"I know. Here you go," Sazh casted a Bravery to Snow. The spell will enhance his strength moderately. He tried to push again, and the lever moved a bit. "Just a bit more." He assured and tried his fullest yet to push it, and finally it clicked and came back into place. The elevator finally moved again and we all sighed in relief. "Thanks, hero." Lightning said and Snow gave her a nod back.

The doors opened again and we immediately inhaled as much oxygen as we could. "Finally, fresh air." I sighed and stepped outside the elevator, to find that the mark is near a new Menhirrim. The mark is a Cie'th named Penanggalan, but it's not an Undying accompanied by four Chonchons.

"Okay, so this 'Penanggalan' is actually a Cie'th. I thought it's a ghost or something." Hope sighed in relief at the thoughts of those things. But I can clearly see through his thoughts that he is actually scared, it seems like he feared of those things even though they never existed.

"Hope, ghosts didn't exist. Stop scaring yourself." Lightning said to her subordinate with a nod. "Come on, let's fight." Sazh said and approached the wailing group of Cie'th. I, Lightning and Fang immediately worked on getting rid of the disturbing Chonchons while the rest worked on the Penanggalan. I saw Fang and Vanille trying to inflict debilitating spells, but the Cie'th is seemingly immune to the spells.

It casted a Deprotega on all of us and the spell was inflicted successfully, except to Sazh and Snow who are backing away in time when the large-scale spell was casted. I chased the first Chonchon around and I swung my weapon in time to cut its left wing clean off. It dropped to the ground and was unable to fly and move around, so I stepped on its 'head' part with the heel of my boot, and the move crushed the Cie'th leaving only black inky substance in its wake as it faded away into black mist.

Fang seemingly had some trouble in evading the second Chonchon's attacks. Lightning fired at the Cie'th and it dropped dead to the ground. Hope and Vanille cooperated in killing the third and fourth Chonchon, and now the only problem is the Penanggalan.

It often casts large-scale debilitating spells, and occasionally, a Poisonga. If we inhaled the poisonous mist fully, then no hope is left because the spell is too strong that we will collapse if we inhaled too much of it.

Hope unfortunately had the same problem. When the Poisonga was casted he was the first one to inhale too much as his eyes rolled back and collapsed to the ground in an instant. "Get him away from the battlefield, Snow!" Lightning ordered the said hero and he obeyed immediately, with Vanille casting an Esuna to remove the Poison from his system and Snow carrying the teenager away to a safe place. He returned shortly after. Great, we just lost one of our best Medics.

When Sazh tried to fire at the Cie'th, most of his shots missed and only a few bullets struck. The same happened to me, most of the arrows I fired missed the target and I'm forced to use Ruin spells. Vanille casted her wind-based spells but strangely it was immune to every single element.

I chose to execute my Crystal Strike move, but I preferred to toss the shards straight at the target instead of just tossing them upwards until they rained down. "What does it take to kill this one?" Vanille groaned and casted her newly-learned, though less effective, offensive Synergist spells on us. It was a wide-ranged Bravera and Faithra, though the duration was shorter for the buffs to remain in place.

Finally, after a long heck of a battle the Penanggalan is dead and the corpse turned into black mist. "Hey, I think we should examine the Menhirrim over there. Let's go and check it out." Snow suggested and we all nodded in confirmation. "Don't forget about Hope, kid's still lying there, right?" Fang reminded us and I instantly remembered the unconscious Hope. We walked to where he is lying and Vanille shook him gently. "Hey, wake up."

Soon he was awake and started to sit up. Before he had a chance to say anything, I cut him off, "You inhaled too much Poison."

He quickly shut his mouth and lowered his head guiltily for not being there to help us finish the Penanggalan off. "No, that's not your fault, kid. That was unexpected." Sazh assured and helped him back to his feet. "Let's go to that one over there. We should grab the mission and check it out."

Fang examined the last Menhirrim and it told us to go back to the Fifth Tier, where a challenge is waiting for us. We decided to use the elevator back to the Fifth Tier and activate the one heading to the Apex. The mark is a Vetala, a quite easy one compared to a Raktavija. "More and more Cie'th. What's the problem over here?" Lightning questioned but readied a stance anyway.

Same as usual, the Vetala activated a protective barrier around it and us casted as many elemental spells as we can. We staggered the foe quickly and in a matter of ten minutes, the deed was over and the sword of the Menhirrim is restored.

We went back to the Sixth Tier and we were about to go to the next room where the elevator might be waiting, and instead the path is blocked by a magic wall. A looming shadow appeared above us and it was again, the same Dahaka as usual. "Geez, what is your problem!" I yelled in annoyance as the fal'Cie charged a large-scale fire ball. Again, the three Menhirrims appeared and cut off the remaining part of Dahaka's tail, leaving only one large orb on a small stub of the remaining tail.

Dahaka left the scene and two of the three statues disappeared, and the remaining pointed his sword at his brethren and removed the magic wall, showing us the way.

"They saved us again. I wonder why?" I asked on the way to the new Menhirrim. "I don't know. Maybe they viewed the fal'Cie as evil." Snow replied with this time, a much logical answer to my view. I activated the Menhirrim and the tier twisted into place along with the new elevator.

We boarded it and it took us onto the Cloven Spire. The Spire was empty, like nothing has been there on the first place. We found a circular platform nearby and boarded it to the Spire's second floor, which was exposed to the night sky above.

As I expected, Dahaka appeared into view from a flash of light before us. "Watch out, he's acting funny!" Lightning warned us and drew her gunblade out. "I think he's weak after he lost his tail." Fang yelled back to us and drew out her lance as well.

With a roar that couldn't possibly be from a fal'Cie, Dahaka lowered his head and exposed his true form, a dragon-esque figure atop the remaining white orb with rather short arms but long talons. "I knew it! He's not a fal'Cie, he's a dragon under the guise of one!" I yelled and summoned Arcus from my empty hand. Dahaka roared and engaged us into battle as he absorbed the energy and turning the whole Cloven Spire as cold as a freezer with his Bone-chilling Breaker.

"It's really cold in here! How can the weather change in a matter of seconds?" Vanille yelled out and tried to use her ice-based spells, which is useless in the weather now. "Coordinate your attacks! If it's cold, use fire-based spells and vice versa!" Lightning commanded and started casting Fira spells. Me and Snow looked to each other at the same time, and yelled out a "But I don't have fire!" at the same time.

"Use something, anything else but the cold!" Fang replied as Dahaka begun attacking with a swipe of his claws. The dragon casted a Haste and Faith spell on himself and casted his strongest Foul Utterance that dispelled every single buffs the Synergists casted at first.

He charged for a Fulminous Firestorm and the weather instantly changed from freezing cold to scorching hot. The heat stung against my skin, it seems like we're in an oven after being put inside a freezer. The Commandos, Fang and Snow, are casting their Ruinga at the same time and the explosion shoved Dahaka away a few steps. The dragon re-casted his Haste and Faith quickly and this triggers Vanille to cast Dispel twice.

When the dragon casted his Diluvial Plague, almost every single debuffs are inflicted on us. We stopped dealing damage as we focused to remove the ailments first, with Fang and Snow guarding, Sazh as a Synergist and the rest as a Medic. Sazh replaced the debuffs with new protective and Haste spells coupled by Enfrost, the while Medics, me and the rest casted Esuna as quickly as possible.

We shifted back to the offensive and casted as much elemental spells as possible, and in a matter of seconds Dahaka staggered back a few steps and started to plummet to the ground. "Watch out!" The Sentinels guarded the others from the impact and the ground shook as the dragon's figure fell down to the ground on his left side, unable to cast anything but still able to deal damage with his claws.

Seeing the chance, the ones capable of dealing more damage instantly made a move, everyone but Hope and Vanille as they stayed in the back lines helping with the healing matters. Fang thought to launch the dragon into the air but canceled the thought as she realized that was impossible. Dahaka swiped his right claw and it knocked me back, some of the sharp claws struck my left arm and two long gashes appeared. I ignored it and continued attacking, stabbing Dahaka's abdomen continuously as his scaly skin is thicken than we thought it would be.

Then I got an idea.

I remembered how the Menhirrims easily cut through Dahaka's tail, and I saw the final orb that started to crack a bit after the fall's impact. It was the largest orb that was on the tail; no doubt he still lives even after his whole tail is lost. It seems like his like his strength is sustained by the lone white orb.

When I was about to make a move Dahaka rose back into the air before I had a chance to shatter the orb. Gritting my teeth in frustration, Dahaka charged for a Bone-chilling Breaker once again and we casted as much spell as possible. The weather shifted in an instant the third time this day and the cold was even worse than before, hindering our movements as we moved a little bit slower than usual.

"Guys!" I called out to the others. "I found his weakness! Shatter that orb on his tail, but we can't if he's hovering in the air! We've gotta make him fall down again!"

The others also spotted the rather long crack on the orb and casted more spells rapidly. I learned a new technique that originated from my Ruin and Ruinga spells, because instead of casting one of those two, a dark spell with a purple aura appeared, and I recognized the technique as Graviton, so I casted more. There is no need to cast the Giga-Graviton as the spell was draining if used continuously.

Around half an hour later, Dahaka collapsed again to the ground and cobweb-like cracks appeared on the orb. I slashed the orb and I found out that the glass-like substance that made the orb is rather thick, so we have to pour in more strength. The fight has gone for more than an hour and although the shadow of night had draped over Gran Pulse, the whole area of Taejin's Tower was illuminated by an eerie blue glow originating from the Bone-chilling Breaker spell.

Sazh casted a quick Bravery for all the Commandos and himself including me and reversed the Enfrost to Enfire, and Vanille casted the reverse spell on the orb as the Deprotectega weakened the orb's strength was reduced. We worked on shattering it and when Dahaka was about to rise, Fang canceled the move by executing her Highwind on the orb and nothing happened except for a rather long, but small crack that appeared on it.

Dahaka rose and nothing happened. We groaned in annoyance when we knew the fight was going to last longer, and the problem was doubled over when Lightning's and Snow's magic had ran out. I noticed my left arm where Dahaka clawed at me started to get a bit paler when I noticed crimson strings running down my arm. I was forced to cast a Regen that drained my magic entirely, though the wound only closed halfway. When I was about to move, I noticed that the cobweb-like cracks started to spread all over the orb.

One, two, three, four more cracks appeared. We gave a half-confused half-happy look at the sight.

The orb shattered into black mist and the dragon let out a roar, one filled with agony as he started to fade away into the dark substance, instead of shattering into millions of crystal dust like a real fal'Cie would.

"Ah, what a relief!" Hope collapsed to the ground as soon as Dahaka faded away. "See? He's not a fal'Cie. I guess we gotta call him 'it' now." Vanille said with a bit tired tone. "I can't believe we cleared Taejin in a night." Sazh also said tiredly from the distance. "Hey Lia, you're hurt, right? Here, let me help!" the orange-haired girl crawled on her knees closer to me and sealed the gashes completely with a Curasa. "Done!"

"Look here, I know everyone is tired." Fang started from beside Lightning. "But with all that critters around? I don't think so. Someone had to keep watch, we're sleeping at the heights and exposed to the sky. So who had sleeping problems here, keep watch one-third of the night." Before collapsing to the ground tiredly.

I volunteered for the first shift, and everyone agreed wordlessly. My thoughts are focused on Dahaka. I never knew that the guardian of Taejin's Tower was a _dragon_ under the guise of a _fal'Cie_. It was kind of like a type of dragon that liked to swallow crystals. But this? Those are supposed to be banished into the Void Beyond. Maybe if Dahaka was already banished by anyone, he found an exit and guised himself as a fal'Cie to fool the whole Gran Pulse with his sudden appearance.

Shrugging, I resumed my watch until my shift was over. I know tomorrow we'll be going to Oerba.

* * *

**A/N: *Checking at my word count* Seven thousand words? My, this is the longest chap I'd ever type. I've got some info for you; I'll be going to my hometown till Sunday. Please... just bear with me. I had a lot of matters here that I can't finish. Besides, the quota and the operator here cheated on me, the signal's good but it took a painfully long time to load even a page that doesn't have any major pictures, just icons (I mean the site). Damn the operator, damn the quota, damn the computer.**

**I'm supposed to write the battle with Mithridates here, but I cut that off for the next chapter because this one here is too long already. I'll type that along with the journey around Oerba, it will be split into two parts if the chaps are too long (exceeding 6000-7000 words). I'll type quickly as soon as I went back here alive and well.**

**Until next time,**

**~ Crystal**


	20. Chapter 20: Oerba Memories

**A/N: I'M BACK! Thankfully I don't have to go anywhere again after this update! I've kept you guys hanging twice, so hopefully this chap will make up for it.**

**Hey, this chap contains the Mithridates Undying battle. That was also a warning; beware for the spoilers if you haven't defeated him and Barthandelus in Oerba.**

**Okay... I've planned this for a lot of time. Enjoy the twentieth chapter!**

* * *

My night watch last night was quite uneventful until Fang was awaken by a strange noise, and went to the Spire's edge to check closer on... things. It was a stray wounded Amphisbaena flying through the cold night air, before finally dropping to the ground in exhaustion. No, I realized that it was _dead_, as it lay motionless on the ground. It must be one of Dahaka's victims.

We switched shifts and I went to sleep around midnight. When I woke up, I realized that it was pouring heavily outside, and that the floor is wet with random puddles of water. Jerking awake, I backed away from a creeping puddle beside me. The others also bolted awake upon realizing the weather. "It's gonna flood anytime soon!" Fang, who was beside Vanille, warned the others and me. She's right; if it's pouring, that means a flood will happen anytime. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree beneath and the tree was burning with flames, but soon is put down by the rain.

"We should take shelter for a while until the rain is gone." Lightning suggested and we all agreed, but I still felt that a part of Taejin's Tower is missing.

"Do you remember what happened after we left the Sixth Tier?" I questioned, and the others hesitated for a while. "We got here. That's it." Sazh replied and his Chocobo chick chirped agreeably. "I also felt that something is a bit strange. We can visit eight tiers here, yet we only visited seven. Is it me, or that we haven't visited the Seventh Tier?" Vanille said with a bit of confusion.

"Right. We haven't finished the seventh yet." Hope agreed with a slight nod. "I think we missed a gold Cie'th Stone over there. Maybe it's gonna help us find the Seventh Tier." Snow said as he stood up. Lightning nodded, "For this one time, you're right."

We laughed at her comment as Snow protested. But now is no time for joking, our brands have dangerously reached around its final stage with the exception of me and Fang. We approached the lone stone and activated it, and it shows yet another Undying mission, this time one named Mithridates.

"It says that Mithridates once loved music. But how come can we get music when it's not present here?" Fang wondered. "I don't know, what if we go check out that Menhirrim over there?" I suggested and I walked to the lone Menhirrim and the sword was stabbed to the ground as usual, activating an elevator nearby. _I wish this will help us rejoin all of the rails in the tower,_ I thought. We boarded the elevator and went down to the Seventh Tier.

* * *

As I expected, the elevator stopped at the Seventh Tier. The rooms inside are still not in the proper places like the few previous tiers. We found a Menhirrim nearby, but it was guarded by Yakshas and Yakshinis. They approached us and screeched, prompting a battle. In a few minutes, they were dead and no longer moving, so we ignored the creatures and activated the Menhirrim nearby. The whole tier twisted and the disconnected rails are fixed. "Now what?" Lightning questioned.

"Go back to the Cloven Spire and ride the main elevator all the way down to the ground floor." I answered and boarded the previous elevator back to the Spire, and I found out that the main elevator is now available to board to the Ground Tier. Sazh pushed the lever and I listened to the surroundings. Music similar to those that are played in music boxes sounded like a lullaby throughout the tower. "That's the music. I forgot that the main elevator plays this tune whenever we board the elevator a long time ago when Taejin is still empty." I explained.

The tune continued to play in the elevator. "Does this mean that Mithridates will come out?" Vanille asked with a bit scared tone. "He'll come out of hiding. No worries, we'll beat him." Fang assured the younger Oerban.

The elevator stopped to a halt at the Ground Tier, and the music stopped playing. "Now let's go look for him." Snow said as he came out and looked around for any signs of the Undying. Strange, the whole tier was quiet like it was in the first place, except for the occasional sounds of the thunder outside that echoed into the room. Moreover, the orb of light that sat in the room's center, one that was guarded by four Menhirrims had dimmed, giving the whole tier a bit sense of horror.

Wails echoed across the room, and the shadow of Mithridates appeared on the wall. We drew our weapons in anticipation of any attack, but we couldn't locate where the Cie'th is as his shadow was scattered across the room. Another wail sounded, but the Undying never came out. _Come on, where the hell are you? _I thought in annoyance.

I looked around and saw that a looming shadow appeared behind Lightning. A red light is also seen.

_Mithridates!_

"Lightning, duck!" I yelled out as the Cie'th made a dive to her. Startled, Lightning ducked to the ground when Mithridates almost hit her as he flew around the room and stopped flying near the orb and wailed. We readied a stance as Mithridates flew around the room and stopped near the gateway, the flickering lightning illuminating his form as he charged a Miasma.

"Charge!" Lightning ordered as we casted as many spells as we can. Dark mist erupted from the Undying and it inflicted Poison at us, but not as severe as Bituitus's. Vanille and Hope removed the poison as soon as possible and resumed in casting spells, with the former mainly casting Saboteur spells. After she got some debuffs on, she began casting her Death spell randomly, aiming to instantly kill Mithridates.

"Think fast!" I challenged the Undying as I casted a Multicast version of Blizzard spells, chained with some Graviton spells to make sure that the effect is doubled. Snow and Sazh aimed to quickly weaken the Cie'th while Fang and Lightning dealt melee attacks to him. Hope and Vanille helped with the healing at the backlines and casted some more spells.

Vanille's Death spells is seemingly ineffectual as the spell only dealt magic damage, not instantly killing Mithridates. He charged for a Levinbolt similar to Bituitus's and the spell was focused on all of us. Lightning thought quickly to deflect the spell and asked her subordinate to bestow Enthunder on her gunblade. She readied a defensive stance and applied an Elude to herself and stood in front of us.

The bolts are casted and with each bolt, Mithridates circled the room. Lightning deflected the bolts with her gunblade back at the Cie'th like playing badminton, and one of the deflected bolts struck his red eye and he fell to the ground with a _thump._

We exhaled in relief. We approached the twitching body that was still crackling with electricity. "Is it dead?" Hope questioned nervously as he poked his boomerang at the red eye in the center of Mithridates's 'chest'. "I'm not sure. If he's actually dead, he'll vanish into an orb of light." I answered and too, examined the body.

One, two, three, four, five seconds he did not move. After the twitching stopped, he didn't vanish into the rainbow-hued orb.

Instead the red eye lit up again.

"Watch—" I reminded the others a second too late as the Undying came back to life and pounced on me. The move knocked me to the ground as he wailed and flew across the room, stopping at the gateway while beating his wings to keep him airborne.

"Oh come on!" Fang groaned and drew back her lance. I fired at the red eye, but most of my shots missed. Snow tried to punch Mithridates, but it wouldn't work as he always evaded any kind of direct attacks. I casted a chain of Graviton spells followed by some Watera, while Hope is working on a chain of Aero spells. The Graviton spells are quite draining and I have to use those spells sparingly so my magic won't run out quickly.

Sazh casted a Firaga that engulfed the Undying in flames. He writhed for a moment and casted Levinbolt in return, causing us to back away from the bolts. Mithridates charged and delivered a slap with his burned wings, scorching the contacted skin. It seems like the flames aren't hindering him, instead the pain was doubled when the flames came into contact with us.

To stop worsening the fight, Vanille casted a Watera that put down the flames engulfing the Cie'th's figure. I casted a Multicast version of Aero and it dazed him a bit. Taking the chance, Fang charged with a battle-cry and jabbed repeatedly at the red eye. Mithridates dropped dead to the ground instantly.

As if on cue, the storm outside stopped and sunlight filled the Palisades. There are countless puddles outside, but that wasn't the matter now. What matters now is how to get to Oerba.

"Let's go back to the Spire. We've gotta check the area out." Fang said and walked back to where the elevator was, completely ignoring the corpse of Mithridates as he dissolved into the rainbow-hued orb of light. We boarded the elevator and the same tune played until we reached the Cloven Spire.

As soon as we reached the area, Lightning packed the remaining Potions for later use. Vanille immediately ran to the Spire's edge, and beamed upon seeing that Oerba is directly beneath us. "I wonder, how does your village look like?" Sazh asked beside her. "Oh, it's actually nice and naturey! You can see every kind of flowers growing around the area."

He looked down at the village. "Sorry. The view's ain't so rosy from here."

"We could use that elevator over there." Hope pointed to the lone elevator at the corner. "That one rolls to your destination." I explained. "Let's go! I can't wait to see Oerba again!" Vanille said and skipped happily to the elevator as we followed her. Little did we know, Fang had ntook the time sparing the scenery a last glance and followed us.

* * *

The elevator rolled across Oerba's plains and stopped as soon as we reached the village. When we came out, the scenery was anything but pleasant.

Glimmering dust-like substance covered the Ashensand. There are a few Vampires shambling aimlessly around, and it seems like these dust fell from Cocoon's crack, where we saw crystal dust raining down freely like waterfalls.

"What happened?" Vanille tried to register the conditions around her and grabbed a fistful of crystal dust, letting it slip away from her hand. "Where do these come from?" Fang followed examining the ashen sand and looked up at the brown orb hanging in the sky. "It's from Cocoon. I guess it came from the War of Transgression." She replied and walked away to her hometown a few hundred meters away.

I sprinted to catch up with her while avoiding unwanted contact with the Vampires. When I arrived at the village, it was abandoned. Roads cracked, buildings empty, plants withered and Cie'th roaming the area. This was the present Oerba, not the village I once knew of.

"It's all gone..." Vanille said and lowered her head. "Every trace of color. We're chasing shadows. This whole idea of losing our brands is hopeless!" Fang added to her friend's statement. I saw that the latter is about to cry seeing the conditions of her village. "It must be _his _doing." I gritted my teeth in annoyance at the thought of Barthandelus. That cursed fal'Cie must be the one plotting all this so we'll lose our hopes, and then one of us will transform into Ragnarok. That's it.

"Let's go examine that Waystone over there, okay? Be strong." Hope assured Vanille with a slight nod. The girl wiped her unshed tears away and nodded back, walking to the stone to examine it and careful not to attract the attention of a nearby Taxim.

The stone's Focus was to kill a pack of Ceratosaurs in the village area. We searched the nearby area for any signs of the Terraquatics, and we spotted them hopping around in front of an abandoned house.

"We can do this!" Snow encouraged the others, especially the two Oerbans to lift their spirits. A look of determination shone in Fang's eyes as she slowly pulled out her lance, muttering something under her breath. I fired at the Ceratosaurs randomly and my shots killed two of them. Fang casted a Ruinga at the other three and the spell exploded, sending the creatures into the air.

Lightning and Sazh fired bullets that ended their lives. I saw that the Waystone is now covered by a grey aura, activating its abilities to teleport us wherever we wanted to go.

"Which is your house?" Hope asked Vanille as they examined some buildings around. "What do you mean, 'which is ours'? All of them, they're ours." She replied and approached a certain structure. "One big, happy family?" Snow asked as well with a slight grin. "One heck a lot of places to hang your hat." Sazh replied with slight humor.

Vanille went up the stairs carefully to not attract the attention of a nearby Vetala hovering around the first floor of the structure. She opened the door and let out a happy cry as she spotted something on the floor. "Bhakti!" She cried out and pressed the switch to activate the small robot. Bhakti whirred back to life and his lens poked out from his square-shaped body.

He gave us a seemingly tired whir before shutting back down. "Uh-oh."

"He's low on power." She gave Fang a half-pout. "I'll fix him if you get his spare parts." Sazh volunteered and kneeled down to examine the handmade robot. "I'll go get those." Snow stood up, "Wait. I'll come." I nodded as we left to find the spare parts. Apparently these parts are scattered up and down across the whole Oerba. What fun.

* * *

As soon as Lia and Snow left to find Bhakti's scattered spare parts, Fang left the other way to find something to eat. Hope examined the black-and-white picture sitting on a table in front of a couch, while Vanille and Sazh are thinking of some way to fix the little robot. Lightning went outside to make sure that nothing is out there to attack them.

"Hey Vanille," Hope called out from his spot. "Is this you and Fang?"

"Yeah. Apparently she doesn't like to be taken a photo of." She replied and walked to the couch to grab the bracelet on it, and giggled a bit. "This is my home. We both lived here, but it's actually cramped inside, so we mixed the kitchen, living room and bedroom together."

He placed the photograph down and sat on the couch. _Living in Gran Pulse was great, _he thought. _We're never alone as long as we stayed together. _The thought reminded him of the incident that took his mother's life. He shook his head off any disturbing kind of thoughts and stared out of the scenery. There was a lot of strange Cie'th roaming outside.

"Did you make that robot yourself?" he then decided to ask Vanille a random question. She nodded in reply, "Yep! Bhakti's kinda useful when the matrons needed me to keep an eye at Fang so she didn't do anything stupid around the orphanage. He's like a camera in your place."

"Oh, so you used him to record a video?" she nodded again and placed the small robot on the table and gave her pet robot a pat. "I hope he'll be fixed again. He's like my best friend whenever I'm alone without Fang around me."

He heard Sazh sighing as he leaned on the couch. Lightning went back inside after checking the conditions and shut the door behind her gently, before sitting on one of the beds at the room's corner.

_Just some more time before facing off against Barthandelus._

* * *

On the other side of Oerba, on the Rust-Eaten Bridge exactly, I and Snow haven't stopped searching around for Bhakti's spare parts. We have acquired every part but the spare gear and lens. I searched near some metal crates and spotted the lens soon enough. "Where the hell is the gear?" I muttered irritably under my breath.

"Let's recheck the spare parts. There's the power cable, battery pack, metal plate and lens. The gear's missing." Snow said as he checked the acquired parts—twice. "Probably we missed something." I said as I walked back to the derelict depot where we just had a fight with three Taxims. When we reached the shores, I noticed that a lone Vampire near a large tree is acting strange.

"It's acting strange. Probably it swallowed the gear." Snow said from our hiding place near some bushes. I scoffed, "Cie'th can't devour something. It's _hiding _the gear." I corrected.

I summoned Arcus to my empty hand. "I'll kill it." I drew back the string and fired an arrow that struck the red eye on its 'chest' as it wailed in agony, before collapsing and fading away into black mist. When we reached where the Vampire died, we found a gear in its wake instead. Sighing in relief, I stuffed the gear in my waist bag when something caught my eye.

It's the nearby tree.

"Am I seeing things, or..." I mumbled as I examined the tree's leaves. "...That's a peach tree?" Snow gave me a questioning look. "What's a peach?" I shook my head at it. "You've never eaten a peach? That's good, because you won't be missing this one. It's a fruit, you idiot." I approached the tree and kicked its trunk, but none of the fruits up there fell to the ground. Rolling my eyes, I climbed up the tree and sat on a lower branch. Some of the fruits are dangling near me, so I picked up at least seven.

"Catch." I ordered and tossed the fruits down to Snow, who caught those and I jumped down the tree. "In Cocoon, we don't have these. I wonder how these taste?" he wondered and examined one of them. "Don't drop it or else you'll ruin the fruits."

I grabbed three from his hands and I walked back to the dilapidated dwelling up on the higher levels. "We're back!" Snow called out as we entered the house and I shut the door behind me. "There's nothing here so I speared some fish at the shores. Were those peaches?" Fang said as she offered us the grilled fish. "Yeah. We found those from the tree near the shores." Snow replied and tossed one to the huntress and to the others, leaving two for him and me.

"It's really sweet." Vanille said as she licked the juice at the corner of her lips. "Hey Fang, remember that we're used to pick these at night so that the matrons won't scold us?"

Fang nodded agreeably. "I'm kinda confused that the matrons won't scold you, but they would surely kill me." The former gave a giggle, "I'm too innocent for them to yell at." The whole room laughed, forgetting the problem we're in for a while. "You said you're innocent," I said between laughter, "But why did you ask something that no one has ever asked me for all those hundred years? You bumped into me that day when I'm visiting your orphanage."

"Yeah, about your age? I'm still seven when I asked you, right? I remembered that you were five hundred and nine that time." She replied. "Hey old man, you said that you'll repair my Bhakti when the spare parts are here."

Sazh gave her a nod from his spot. "What do you guys have?"

"We've got a battery pack, a power cable, metal plating, a pair of lens and a gear. Sounds good?" Snow handed the items to him as he checked the spare parts. "He'll be working in no time." Vanille giggled happily and handed Bhakti, who was on her lap all time to Sazh as he connected the cable to the battery pack, removing the old one and the rusty plating inside and fixed the gear into place before disconnecting the old lens and changing it into the new one.

He connected the switch and pressed it as the small robot whirred back into life. "There you are! I missed you so much!" Vanille cried happily as she gave a pat for her robot. Bhakti's lens lit up and a display screen projected in front of us. "I guess Pulse's AI is as good as Cocoon's!" Snow gave a grin to the handmade robot.

"Hm? You said by completing the circle of Cie'th stones presents us with new Oretoises?" Fang gave Bhakti a confused look and a smaller display screen appeared with the writing 'Yes' in Pulsian. The words on the larger screen changed into 'Complete all missions from them and you'll find out the purpose of the crystal cocoon you saw in Paddra'.

"You mean Bituitus?" I questioned and the smaller display screen still had the writing 'Yes'. "Look Bhakti, I'm really sorry but we have to leave you here. I can't risk destroying you if I brought you around." Vanille gave her robot a sad look, and the writing on the same display screen changed to 'It's okay mistress, as long as you are alive, I have no need to worry'.

"That's really sweet for a robot. He called you 'Mistress'." Fang gave her younger friend a slight grin. "He's attached to me ever since I made him." She replied as Bhakti glided on his wheels to the room's corner. "There's a simple voice detector in his system. That's why he could understand us." She explained again and gave her robot a last glance.

"Let's go get to the bridge. Probably something's waiting for us." I said and left the house with the others following behind me. The path was clear, well, most of them, as some of the Cie'th had left the area or was killed long when I and Snow were looking for the spare parts. We went inside the depot and onto the higher grounds where the bridge is.

The bridge was completely ruined but is still intact. We crossed the bridge past some Varcolaci and Vetalas, and we reached the end of the bridge in no time. "It's a dead end. Where were we supposed to go?" Lightning asked and examined the horizon.

"_Ragnarok. Come Day of Wrath. O Pulse l'Cie," _A voice echoed around the area. "Who's that?" Hope asked as he looked around for the speaker. _"Embrace thy fate, thine home to burn. That fallen souls might bear our plea to hasten the Divine's return. O piteous wanderer, Ragnarok." _A shadowed figure materialized in front of us. "Make of this day a brave Epoch," from the light Serah appeared before us. _Impossible, _I thought. "Deliver the Divine, Ragnarok."

Serah gave is a soft smile as Snow gave her a disbelieving look, "Serah! H-How did you...?"

The younger Farron embraced Snow in an instant as he too wrapped his arms around her. "I was waiting... for you to open your eyes." She began. "All the time I was asleep, I knew what was happening. I kept trying to think a way to safe Cocoon—together."

I noticed that something is a bit off from Serah. Judging by her speech and tone, this was not Serah. My suspicion was confirmed when I saw that she was wearing her butterfly pendant. In my memories, the real Serah left the pendant before she crystallized! So how come...?

"Serah?" Snow let out a grunt of surprise as he pushed her back. "You get it now," she said as she walked around the area. "There are no gods with miracles to save us, no matter where you look. That's why we have to call one," A grin crept on her lips, one that was un-Serah like.

"Destroy Orphan. We'll save the world!"

_Damn you, _I thought irritably and gritted my teeth in annoyance. "Stop it!" Lightning yelled to her sister. "You can't," Serah retorted. "You love me too much. You do, don't you _Claire_?" she added in a near-whisper tone at the final part. "Listen," Now it's Snow who said rather rudely to her. "We don't want to destroy Cocoon. We'll save it!"

A bright light shone over Serah's figure and blinded our vision momentarily, and now Barthandelus stood in her wake. "I knew it!" I yelled at the Primarch. "It's an illusion. But that never worked as you missed a dear part of her."

"Is it?" he questioned with a slight chuckle. "You betrayed your fal'Cie to chase dreams and shadows. The world you claim to wish to protect now faces the end of days with no hope of salvation."

"I didn't think fal'Cie has the means!" Lightning hissed at Barthandelus. "Oh, it wouldn't be fal'Cie who destroy her. "For centuries now, Cocoon has provided generously for its human inhabitants' every want and need. Coddled them one might even say. The result being, their deep-seated fear and hatred for change and all things alien. Fed, nurtured, and ready to detonate at the slightest spark. The seeds of destruction take root, even now."

"What did you do to Cocoon?!" "I resigned, appointing Raines as Primarch in my stead."

Snow gave him a disbelieving look. "Raines? He's alive?" Dysley chuckled. "The puppet is restrung to serve my needs, yes."

"Damn you to hell!" I shouted this time at the fal'Cie in disguise. "The time has come!" he laughed evily as Menrva circled him and morphed his form into the fal'Cie Barthandelus. We readied our weapons as he cackled maniacally, flexing his talons beside him. "Go, prove your worth you filthy l'Cie!"

He started to hit us with random laser-like attacks. We had a hard time in dodging the lasers, so Sazh and Hope gave us defensive and offensive buffs. Slightly annoyed by the lasers, I casted a Giga-Graviton to the massive fal'Cie and the spell exploded in front of him, but the faceguard he's wearing made it harder to take him down.

Hope and Vanille casted as much spell as possible while Fang focused in disabling Barthandelus's arms, but his thick skin also made it harder to do so. I dodged a swipe as the faceguard opened and it revealed his face, but also dangerously enabling him to use Thanatosian Laughter for us.

Most of his attacks are strangely focused on Lightning. He knew, because if he took her down first then it'll be easier for him to kill the rest of us. He casted a wide-ranged Cursega as the spell struck me, Lightning and Vanille, opening the possibility for us to be interrupted.

Lightning moved quickly around the battlefield and fired at Barthandelus's left eye. She aimed to blind him and a swipe caught her off guard, the talons wounding her torso. She casted a Cura on herself to stop the blood. "I'm fine." She said through her teeth.

I fired at Barthandelus's right eye as one of the arrows struck it. He roared in fury and in pain and he forcefully ripped the arrow out and charged Tharnatosian Laughter. "Guards up!" Fang yelled to the others as she got into a defensive stance, I followed her and applied Vendetta to myself.

The spell blasted us rapidly and the guard spells didn't help too much as the move blasted me, Sazh and Lightning to the backlines. "Hahaha, poor l'Cie," he mocked as he casted a Slowga, "Do you wonder where did the flower go?" I widened my eyes at it as he slowly took out an all-too-familiar flower and gave me an eerie grin. "It's mine."

_Curse you, _I thought and charged at him, but when I was about to slash he slapped Arcus out of my hand and blasted me back to the others with a Ruinga. "Are you okay?" Vanille said as she worriedly casted a Curasa to me in case if any injuries. "Heads up!" Lightning cried out as a large-scale blast are aimed to us, with the Sentinels acting quickly by covering us with Mediguard on.

Both Fang and Snow yelled out in pain as the guard spells are ineffectual and the spell blasted us. "Your tricks are useless against this." Barthandelus said as he let out a crazed laughter and charged another attack with Radians. "Burn that flower, dammit! He'll knock all of us out if that thing isn't destroyed!" I yelled angrily as I grabbed Arcus and aimed to destroy the flower first.

The others also focused in destroying the flower, but it was harder to do when another spell blasted us back. Vanille was knocked back and hit her head really hard on the pavement and that knocked her out. I can see Fang beside me with her blood boiling as she charged for the fal'Cie, but another spell also blasted her back and cracked some of her ribs. I rushed to heal her and momentarily leaving the battlefield.

After the healing is done, I went back and fired as much as I could. I can feel that my magic is slowly running out from the casting and healing. At the last measure of it, I decided to cast a Giga-Graviton that drained my magic completely. "Sazh! Give me Enfire!" I yelled out to Sazh and he gave me and Enfire. I went back into targeting the flower again. I shot a glare into Barthandelus's empty eyes.

_Why don't we play... a game?_

"Hey old man, change the element!" I called out again and he changed the En-spell into thunder. Lightning saw what I'm going to do and casted a Thundaga without targeting anyone including Barthandelus. After the current arrow was charged I aimed it at his face.

But that was just a trick.

I gave him a sly grin as I fired it to his left eye, but the arrow changed direction in the last seconds and struck Radians that was on his left hand instead. The barrier that protected the flower dissipated and the flower shattered into nothingness before us. I can hear Snow and Hope cheering in relief and happiness at the backlines.

"Graaaah! How dare YOU?!" he roared angrily and charged Tharnatosian Laughter again and it blasted us a few steps back. He tore three portals open in the sky and I inspected the portals' destination. All of them are headed to Eden. No, literally, he is summoning things from Eden.

PSICOM Elites appeared from inside the portal along with a Proto-Behemoth and around twenty Pantherons. The soldiers closed in on us and the Behemoth let out a roar and stood up on its hind legs, also drawing the mechanical blade embedded on its head.

Barthandelus let out a crazed laughter at the sight of us cornered like a sheep cornered by a Gorgonopsid. "Face my army, dear l'Cie. You will not live after this day." The soldiers aimed their guns at us and we too readied a stance. "Farewell, Farron." He said and jumped inside the first portal. "Do anything you want to do." Lightning said in a near-whisper voice. Hope, who was standing behind her, charged a Thundaga.

The silence continued.

Hope casted the spell at the first fleet and that began the assault. I fired rapidly at the second fleet and the others helped us. When the first wave was done, the second wave, this time with more soldiers came out from the portal like floodwater. I was trying to finish off the Proto-Behemoth in front of me when a bullet struck me straight on my wounded thigh from the back and I collapsed to the ground. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the soldiers dragging Vanille into the portal.

Fang chased the soldiers carrying away her friend but is shot down at her ankle and knocked unconscious by a soldier. Hope who had collapsed after the first wave was finished was also dragged into the portal. Lightning is cornered by a soldier and is shot as well, with the soldiers also dragging her into the portal.

Then it's Snow, and then Sazh... we lost. That's the conclusion. Before I can think of something else and attack, something was rammed roughly to the back of my head and I blacked out shortly enough, the last thing I saw is the blood that trickled down my left thigh and the portal as we were dragged to Eden.

* * *

**A/N: I'll get more chapters done by tomorrow! I'm going to think for a while for the plots of the next chap. Wait up for the next update, I'll post it tomorrow morning!**

**~ Crystal**


	21. Chapter 21: Execution Plans?

**A/N: I knew that some of you are reviewing, but your questions are better answered by the story. I won't let the story end so easily. I'll give a twist to the main storyline *evil laughter***

**Just keep up with the story, guys. Enjoy the twenty-first chapter.**

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked rapidly.

Where am I? This place doesn't seem like Gran Pulse, judging by the metal bars in front of me. Probably I'm hallucinating? No, this place seems like the real deal for me.

I tried to walk forwards and I let out a hiss as something bound me in place. That something gripped on my wrists tightly. I looked up, and I saw that my wrists are shackled and I'm chained rather tall to the brick wall behind me. Cursing inwardly, I tugged at the chains but it was useless.

I noticed that all of my battle equipments are removed, that includes my waist bag with the Ribbon and Star Pendants inside along with the gloves and wristband. I noticed that my wrists have started bleeding, and blood is still dripping down the wound on my left thigh. I focused on a healing spell that does not require l'Cie to draw magic from their brands. Yes, the heart.

The wound is now completely sealed and the bleeding stopped. I tugged again and again but the shackles won't budge. Oh, what a good way to torture l'Cie, chained high to the wall with the shackles tight and the chains too short. I'm forced to stand on my tip-toes to prevent the shackles from wounding my wrists more. I noticed a bit of movement inside the cell in front of me.

"Guys? Where are you?" I called out to the others. A groan sounded from the same cell. "Sazh is here."

It was Sazh in the cell in front of me. "Where are the others?" I asked in a quiet voice as not to attract the attention of any soldier. "The girls are chained in the same room but separate cells, the hero and the kid chained in a different room in the same manners. We're chained here the last."

"As for soldier girl, she's chained in a quarantine cell. I heard from the soldiers chaining her that every bit of movement she made will result in an electric shock."

I gritted my teeth in annoyance at that. "Just wait, I'll think of a way to break free from this damn prison." I tugged again at the chains but the shackles dug deeper into my flesh. "What the heck are you thinking? We're gonna be executed in public five days from now on."

Executed? Five days from now on? Oh, joy.

* * *

"Fang? Where are you?"

Vanille called out to her friend as loud as she could. Same as the others, she was chained to the wall. But her cell was the worst. Her shackles are really high when her chains are really short, and her wrists started bleeding ever since she woke up.

"No worries 'Nille, I'm here!" Fang replied from the cell beside her. "Are you okay?" she questioned again with a spark of worry in her voice. "Obviously not!" was the reply. "My ankle's still bleeding a bit over here!" she widened her eyes at her friend's voice. "Oh no! I'll heal you as soon as possible!" she tugged at her chains but the effort was useless.

She tugged at it again and again until she screamed in pain at the shackles digging deep into her wrists. She slumped a bit and then forced herself to stand on her tip-toes. "Do you have any clue of our whereabouts?"

"No! I guess we're in Eden!" came Fang's exasperated reply. _"Shut up!" _the voice of a PSICOM soldier sounded as he rattled the bars to silence both Oerbans. As soon as he left, Vanille made a nervous expression. "Gentler Fang, gentler." She said in a near-whisper voice. "I heard we'll be executed five days from now on, and I don't know where the others are. Lightning, Snow, Hope, I dunno where they are. I'm still knocked out when I realized that I'm chained here." Fang said.

_E-Executed? _Vanille thought worriedly. _Does that mean all this journey will stop? Does that mean not seeing the others again?_

_And even worse... What will happen to Cocoon if we died?_

* * *

Lightning gritted her teeth in annoyance and anger at the shackles that bound her. Every single bit of movement she made always resulted in more torture.

She dared to tug at the chains again and with the same result, she was electrocuted the umpteenth time this day. She groaned and gave up trying to break free. _Serah... I'm sorry. _She thought sadly. They were going to be executed five days from now on, and those five days is full of torment.

_I'm not... giving up, _she said inwardly and thought of a better idea to break free. _I'm not going to give in to your illusions! I'll see Serah again after all this mess ended! I'll kill you, Barthandelus!_

Lightning tugged harder at the chains again and the currents started to conduct into her again. She tugged again and again, regardless of the shocks constantly electrocuting her with a hope of breaking the chains. With a cry, she tugged her hardest yet on the chains, but her body gave up to the electricity flowing into her.

She slumped down and the movement also electrocuted her. Then she is forced to stand on her tip-toes until she was tired, and electrocuted again to death. Light footsteps sounded outside of her cell and she tiredly opened her eyes, realizing the person nearing her cell was Dysley himself.

"Just give in, Farron." He mocked, pointing his staff at her. "None of you will live after five days from now on." Lightning gritted her teeth as she tried to contain her boiling rage at the accursed fal'Cie.

"What if we lived?" she challenged. Dysley quieted down for a while and then laughed wickedly, as if her words never made sense into that skull of his. "Oh child, perish the thought. If you lived, then it's my job to kill you, and you'll never see your beloved Serah again."

"DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT ABOUT MY SISTER!" that angered shout escaped her and she didn't realize that she was tugging at her chains, and the movement sent electric currents again into her system. A pained cry threatened to make its way out of her lips and she silenced herself by biting at her tongue to keep it in. Now's no time to show weakness. She has to kill this accursed fal'Cie!

An unimpressed look took over his expression. "You can't even break free from your own cell. Then how will you live to see your sister again?"

Lightning started to hate this being so much. His words were one laced with poison she couldn't resist, and he always made fun of her friends and sister Serah especially. She wondered how to kill Barthandelus in one blow, to kill him and see her sister again and to say sorry to her.

An eerie grin made its way on his face. "I'll see you five days from now on, Farron," he hissed," That day all of Cocoon will see you die in my hands along with that worthless l'Cie friends of yours. Then I'll sacrifice Cocoon and be reunited by the Maker again!" he laughed madly and left the room where she was quarantined. "Curse you!" she yelled out in anger and tugged again at her chains, electrocuted again and again in her failed attempts to break free from this prison.

* * *

"Come on!"

I yelled angrily at the shackles and tried to crystallize the chains and shatter it. That was the only thing that popped in my mind, but it made sense anyway. "Don't give up, girl." Sazh tiredly encouraged from the opposite cell.

Liquid crystal crept on the chains and froze slowly. When I stopped freezing it, the hardened liquid melted again and dissipated. I clicked my tongue in annoyance and tried to freeze it again. "Someone's coming!" Sazh warned me and I dismissed the liquid that started to creep on the shackles, and tried to act innocent in case of soldiers.

And he was right, six soldiers came and three approached me and the other three to Sazh. I noticed that one of them was Guardian Corps material and the other two is PSICOM, so that would be a piece of cake for me to injure the former. One of the latter two carried a magnetic pole and the other carried a steel bowl filled with something that I knew is disgusting.

"_Look at it," _the first PSICOM soldier mocked and stuck the bowl at the end of the pole and offered it to me. Yes, 'offered' is the correct word. _"Chained to the wall like a stray animal." _I saw that the substance was water, but I knew that it isn't clean. But if I don't drink, I'll die of thirst. I hesitated for a while and shot the second PSICOM soldier a glare. "You expect me to drink from this thing like some kind of pet." I spat angrily at them.

"Is that a challenge?" the GC soldier replied with the same tone. I rolled my eyes at it. "I am not a dog." I said again with a bored tone. _"You don't seem like a dog," _the first said. _"But you're a l'Cie that's even more filthy than a bloodhound."_

All of them laughed mockingly and drew back the bowl. "I better drink your blood rather than that water." I spat again as they laughed more. _"Whatever you may say to us, but you can't escape from this prison, l'Cie." _They said and left. "Better go away, idiots." I cursed and went back into crystallizing the chains. I saw the other three soldiers leaving Sazh's cell and I heard him grumbling an 'I'm not that old'. "Why do you refuse to drink?" he asked. "To prove them that I'm not some kind of helpless girl." I muttered and tried to freeze the chains again.

"Damn." I cursed when I felt blood dripping to my shoulders. As soon as the liquid crystal froze, I applied a new layer to prevent it from melting. But I applied it a second too late and the first layer melted into nothingness. "This whole heck to destroy the chains needs some kind of patience."

"Darn right it is." Sazh commented as he too tugged at his chains. "I gotta live to see Dajh. I don't want anything to happen to my son." He said with determination as he tried to break the chains. "Whp are you fighting for?" he questioned randomly.

I hesitated for a while. "I want to see my sister again." I replied flatly and resumed freezing the chains. "Same as soldier girl, huh?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"_Come on you filthy l'Cie!"_

Vanille shook her head weakly at the soldiers mocking her. These... morons had been forcing her to drink a bowl of water like some kind of animal. They continued jeering at her, mocking her and most of all forcing her to do as they like.

Until some minutes they stopped their mockery and left her cell. As for Fang, the soldiers also forced her to do the same thing, and for once, she obeyed their orders. But that wouldn't stop them from mocking her. As soon as the older Oerban finished, they left the cell and the two were alone again in the room.

"Just why won't they let me die to end all this?" Fang groaned in the cell beside hers. "It's like that old timer wants the whole Cocoon see us dead in front of them."

"But Fang, what about Oerba? What if Cocoon was actually destroyed? What about Serah and Sazh's boy?" Vanille protested and tugged at her chains. "It's like you're right, though. We gotta break free from this damn prison!"

She heard Fang's chains rattle. She knew that her friend was trying to break the chains binding her to the wall. And then she made a determined look and tugged as hard as she could on the chains, regardless if the shackles started to dig deeper into her skin and her blood, her own blood drip to her shoulders.

Hunger started to take its toll on her body as she slumped back. She tugged again and again on the chains, but it was useless. "It's my fault..." she uttered softly as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "It's my fault, if I hadn't made Serah into a l'Cie then all this won't happen..." But as she started sobbing, she remembered the words that Sazh said to her at the _Palamecia_;

_But it's okay; it's not your fault._

She remembered how he had spared her in Nautilus. That time when he knew that she was one to blame for his son's crystallization, he was about to kill her. But then he spared her by attempting to shoot himself instead.

If it wasn't for Brynhildr's summoning, she wouldn't survive to see Oerba again. _That's it, _she mentally berated herself. _Stop crying like you're some helpless little girl. You can do this, Vanille._

She tugged at the chains as hard as she could and the shackles started creaking. But that wasn't enough to break the chains. She tried as hard as she could, but she failed instead. _Probably I'm too tired. I'll rest for a while and then continue breaking the chains. _She thought and stopped tugging at the chains. Before she knew what was happening, she drifted into a dreamless sleep, not realizing the shackles had dug deeper into her wrists.

* * *

_Meanwhile, on the other side of Eden Central Prison..._

"_Sir!"_

A PSICOM and GC soldier rushed into their Commander's office. "Sir, two of the l'Cie refused to drink." Said the GC soldier to the Commander as he narrowed his eyes at the two, "Make them do it!" he barked and the two saluted him, "Aye aye, sir!" and left the room in a hurry.

His eyes averted to the security screen that showed the conditions inside one of the rooms. One of the l'Cie, a female with coral blue hair is tugging at the chains but that wasn't what that attracted his attention. Silvery liquid crept along the chains and the l'Cie seemed to get frustrated as the slowly hardening liquid melted again.

_Am I seeing things or that is the real deal? _He thought in confusion. Ignoring it, his eyes averted into one of the rooms. A tanned, raven-haired woman in Pulse garb was tugging continuously at her chains. And the final screen showing the quarantine room was even more shocking.

A female l'Cie in Guardian Corps uniform was tugging continuously at her chains, regardless of the electric shocks coursing through her body that slowly drained her energy away. How can she endure the pain of the electricity for so long?

"Damn," he cursed as he balled his fist and slammed it to the control panel. "The l'Cie are trying to break free. I have to report this to the Primarch!" he rushed out of his office to see the Primarch. Yes, he has to report this.

* * *

A cry of pain left me as I was whipped around the tenth time. The soldiers dragged me out of my cell and chained me here instead with Vanille as we were whipped countless times for not obeying them.

Vanille had tears at the corner of her eyes that threatened to fall down as her eyes averted to the whip marks scattered along her legs and arms. "Just wait! I'll—"another cry escaped me as the same soldier whipped me again.

One of them approached me and slapped me hard on my right cheek. It took me two seconds before my cheek started to sting. Shutting my eyes in both anger and pain, I cursed inwardly. I saw a GC soldier at the room's corner, so I waited for his turn to hit me.

One, two, three slaps later it was his turn to hit me. Okay, I'll make him regret this.

Just as he was to swing his palm across my face, I snapped my head to his incoming hand and bit his wrist straight at the artery as hard as I could. He yelled out in pain but that triggered me to bite down harder. His blood trickled down my chin and onto my lap, but I don't care.

I stopped biting as one of the soldiers dragged him out of the way. I licked the blood away from my lips and spat it to the floor. "Get her to the quarantine cell!" One of them ordered as they unshackled me and dragged me roughly to the quarantine. Good, this was my point after all to see Lightning again in the quarantine cell.

I heard a scream as Vanille was yanked to her feet and dragged away back to her cell. On the way to the quarantine, I thought of a way to overcome the cell's electric shocks. I passed by some cells and I found Lightning's. Her eyes caught mine momentarily and I sent a wink her way.

Luckily, my cell is right in front of hers. I was chained back again to the wall as the soldiers left the room. "What did you do?" Lightning glared at me. "Bite a soldier, what else? That was the only thing I could do." I tried to freeze the chains again. "And I'm trying to freeze the chains so I can shatter it."

I tried hard a whole day to freeze the chains, but it just won't work. Until I realized nighttime has fallen over Cocoon, the crystal just kept melting. I groaned as I tried more. My throat started to feel dry and I'm hungry for not eating properly a whole day. And to think there are five more days before the execution...

A layer of the liquid crystal froze the chains completely. I waited for five seconds. Five seconds it did not melt. I sighed in relief and slumped down, the shackles started to dig deeper into my flesh. But when I did so, the electricity did not flow as usual. "Finally, a right thing to do."

With that, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

I was awake to sounds of rattling. Moonlight shone into my cell through the only ventilation inside. _It's still nighttime, huh? _I shook my head sleepily and I looked at the source of rattling. Someone was rattling the metal bars of my cell, and I realized that was the GC soldier that I injured today.

"What are you doing in here?" I hissed at him in anticipation of anything. He didn't answer me. "Answer me!" finally I yelled to get words out of his mouth. He reached into his pocket and grabbed something out. He unfolded it and tossed the item he's holding into my cell, and it was a paper with Cocoon writing on it. He then left me alone wordlessly.

The first sentence says 'Look, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I'm not allowed to come into contact with Pulse l'Cie'. The second says 'We came to see the Primarch today. He said his plans for your execution are changed as soon as possible at morning. He didn't give us the reason. I hope this helps, and please don't tell anyone from the military that I did this'.

"So good for crystallizing the chains." I groaned and created a new layer of liquid crystal. I heard sounds of rattling and that was Lightning, she was tugging at her chains again regardless of the electric shocks. "Light, listen up." I called out to her and she looked at me tiredly. "Barthandelus changed our execution plans. We're gonna be executed this morning. A soldier told me so but he wouldn't tell me himself. He left me a paper."

"We have to flee before the army disposed of us." She said again and tried to tug at the chains but got electrocuted again instead. "You wait, I'll try to crystallize the chains and break it." I froze the second layer successfully. "How many layers do you need?" "I need around ten. Each layer will melt gradually, I gotta do this quickly." I froze the third and fourth layer successfully.

_Come on! _I tried to freeze every layer. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth layer are frozen. Now to work on the tenth layer...

The chains binding me are almost unrecognizable. It was gleaming in the moonlight now and was clear in color. "Almost there, Light." I said as I tried to freeze the tenth layer. The layer froze successfully and I tugged at it with all my strength. The chains creaked and were about to break right now, what I need to do is just keep pulling until it shattered.

I pulled harder and cobweb-like cracks appeared all over the crystal surface. It creaked and shattered at last, and I dropped to the floor. "I did it!" I yelled out and approached the metal bars. Now, to get out of this cell...

A soldier's footsteps are heard outside of the room. He must be attracted by the sounds of shattering. _"What the hell is going on there?!"_ he yelled out and found that I'm off my shackles. _"What the?!"_

I gave him a grin and noticed that he held the keys. "Time to go to sleep."

I threw a rough punch that knocked him out and I grabbed the keys from his hands. I unlocked cell while staring for a while at my wrists, they were injured badly and is still bleeding a bit. I slowly pushed the bars away and I approached Lightning's cell. I tried all the keys, but every single one of them didn't match the keyhole on Lightning's cell.

"Go, get the others first. Don't forget to grab Blazefire and my equipment." She said. "What? No way!"

"Just do it!" she yelled and subconsciously tugged at the chains, causing her to be electrocuted again. "Fine." I replied and rushed outside the room all the way back to Sazh's cell. "Sazh!" I called put to him as soon as I reached his cell. "Girl, how did you...?" he uttered in confusion as I unlocked his cell. "Don't ask; let's go get the others and our equipment!"

He took the time to rub his aching wrists and followed me to find Vanille and Fang's cells. A blaring alarm sounded across the room. _"Attention, intruders inside the prison! All units locate target!"_

I summoned Arcus into my hand, but now I must be a little more careful not to get disarmed again. Five soldiers appeared and I fired at them to death but one soldier, the Commander. Sazh strangled the Commander and pinned him against the wall. "Where the hell are our equipment?!" I yelled in front of him and pressed my sword to his neck. He remained silent.

"Tell me or die!" I yelled again, but this time he nodded in fear and panic, _"Alright, alright! They're in the basement near the third room from here to the east! Please just let me live!" _Sazh took his hands off the soldier and let him fall to the ground. "Let's go!"

We left the room and into the dark corridor. "Get the girls first! We can retrieve the equipment later!" he said and rushed to the room where Vanille and Fang are held captive. "Fang? Vanille? Where are you?" I called out as I checked every cell in the room. "We're here!" Fang's voice sounded from one of the cells.

I found her on the end of the room with Vanille's cell beside her. "Thank goodness you came, where's Light?" Vanille said as I unlocked her shackles. "She's in the quarantine cell, but none of the keys matched. We gotta get the others first!" I replied and handed one of the keys to Sazh who unlocked Fang's cell and unshackled her.

We ran to where Snow and Hope's cells are, only to be hindered by ten soldiers. "Use magic!" I yelled to the others who are weaponless. I fired and killed around five and the others finished off the rest. We arrived to Snow and Hope's cells. "Now this is the problem. We never heard anything of them, so we have to look around for them." Fang said in annoyance and started to look around for any signs of the remaining two l'Cie.

"Snow, Hope, where are you?" Vanille called out and she noticed a bit of movement in one of the cells. "Hope! There you are!" she rattled the bars as Hope stirred and snapped awake. "Where am I?" he yelled immediately and winced seeing that his wrists are shackled. "You were out all day?!" I yelled while handing Fang the key to Snow's cell that she found moments after Vanille found Hope's.

"Yeah, and do you care to tell me where am I?" he said and rubbed his aching wrists. "Eden. We're actually gonna be executed this morning." Sazh replied. "What? I thought we're going to die in five days! And where's sis?" Snow asked as soon as we are heading to where PSICOM stored our equipment. "She's in the quarantine cell with me. We gotta move quickly before Dysley actually executed her or she died from the electrocuting. Each small movement she made will electrocute her." I explained to him.

"Where do they hide our weapons?" Vanille asked on the way. "It's in the basement three rooms to the east from my room." Sazh replied. We reached the basement soon enough and I quietly opened the door. There are five guards in the room and two Elites examining our weapons. "We're doomed." Snow said when he saw the soldiers. One of the two Elites secured Lightning's Blazefire Saber somewhere safe. They knew if a gunblade is an elite weapon.

"We're wasting time. Let's just go 'charge in guns blazing'." Fang said as she leaped down the stairwell and directly attacking the soldiers with her Ruin spells. I grabbed Vanille's folded Binding Rod and handed it to her. "Thanks!" she said and worked in tangling a soldier in the wires of her rod. Sazh retrieved his guns and started firing, while Fang grabbed her lance and tossed Hope's boomerang to him. The thing that matters is how to get Lightning's gunblade.

I finished off the first Elite and then the other soldiers. After we killed all of them, the second Elite is left and we cornered him on one of the room's sides. "Hand that gunblade to me!" I yelled as I tried to snatch Blazefire roughly from his hands. _"Not this time!" _he said and blasted us back with a Manadrive Thundaga.

"Was that a challenge?" Fang said and pointed her lance at him. _"Primarch Dysley will win against you in the final battle, l'Cie! Then we'll eradicate all of you and Cocoon will be free from all of you!"_

_You're sadly mistaken. _I thought and rolled my eyes at it. "Oh is it? What will you say if the Primarch is someone else?" I challenged the soldier and that silenced him. _"What do you mean by—" _Sazh took a step forward and aimed his gun at the soldier. "None of your business." He said and shot the soldier. "Why did you kill him?" Fang asked as she grabbed Lightning's gunblade and gave it to me.

"He'll be dangerous if we don't kill him." He answered simply and holstered his guns. "Hey look, this is ours, right?" Hope asked from the distance when he saw a pile of equipment tucked away in the other corner of the room. I grabbed my gloves, wristbands and bag wordlessly and wore them as usual. I saw that dawn has risen at the horizon, meaning that Lightning will die anytime soon.

"Let's go, quickly!" Fang barked at us as she too went out of the room to find Lightning.

* * *

"Your Eminence, all the l'Cie escaped!" a GC soldier reported to Dysley. The elderly man merely shook his head and tapped the table in front of him. "How many are left?"

"Six escaped to the Eastern Wing basement. One still remained in room thirteen at the central sector, cell number fifteen-six." A female operator replied. "What else do you know?" he asked again to the operator. "They killed the commander of the Eastern Wing basement and finished off all soldiers in the same location and sector."

"We will execute her as soon as possible. Tell all soldiers to gather at the execution arena and prepare the arena for the l'Cie. We have to dispose of this threat quickly to prevent further damage to Cocoon." Every soldier and the operator left the room and left Dysley on his chair alone inside the silent room. An eerie grin took over his expression.

"You faced your end of days, Farron. You will not survive to see your sister forever. Surrender now to the power of fal'Cie."

* * *

Lightning's icy blue eyes snapped open as soldiers unshackled her and dragged her roughly out of the cell. _Damn, the execution. _She cursed inwardly at Barthandelus. He must be laughing at her right now for her temporary helplessness.

_I hoped that the others made it out safely. _She shot a glare at the PSICOM soldier beside her. When she was about to open her mouth to say something, the soldier cut her off, _"Silence, l'Cie." _She clamped her mouth shut again, but not her mind as a thousand of thoughts are running through it. Lightning continued walking until she reached a dead end. No, that wasn't a dead end but a gate that required an access key to open.

The arena before her was exposed to the sky with soldiers circling the arena with some chosen civilians. Behind a podium was Dysley who grinned eerily to her as usual. "Behold, the citizens and soldiers of Cocoon. The Pulse l'Cie." He said and Lightning heard the crowd jeering at her. She was chained back to a chair with a soldier standing beside her.

She heard the crowd yelling at her. "Kill the l'Cie! Kill the l'Cie!"

"_Silence!" _the Commander shouted to stop the civilians from nearing her. "Do as you like to her." Dysley said again and with that, the soldiers started taking turns to beat her. One delivered a rough punch to her wounded torso and she let out a cry of pain at that. There's no way for her to retaliate as her hands were chained at the back of the chair.

Punch after punch was delivered to her weakened physique. Lightning felt blood slowly trickling from the corner of her lips. After they were done doing so, she was electrocuted again like in the first place. The currents were too strong and she was too weak to retaliate right now, it seems like the tormenting almost drained her out of life.

Her eyes started to show a mix of anger and pain. The Commander casted a series of Manadrive-enhanced spells at her, doubling the pain.

Did she have to lie here and wait until death whisked her away?

* * *

We had information from one of the GC soldiers we held captive that the execution is about to start. Now we had already duct taped his mouth and tied him in the West Wing basement after the area was clear. He also showed us where the arena is, on the topmost floor of the whole prison.

So now here we are, rushing up the stairs leading to the arena. Vanille and Hope are left behind as they wheezed in exhaustion and almost collapsed en route to our target location. We found it, a gate leading to the arena. Sadly, the gate is secured by a password Etro knows what.

"We're doomed! What about the password?" Hope exclaimed as he tried to break through the door. "We gotta try. We can't afford losing sis right now." Snow said and thought of a combination for the password. _"Please enter the password." _The AI said through the speaker. I tried to enter my cell number, but it was simply rejected.

"Fang, try to listen anything from up there." Vanille said to her friend. "The execution's started, Barthandelus's gonna kill her anytime." She said and banged her fist to the metal door. "It must be Light's cell number! Anyone knew?" I said again. "I only remembered three number; one, five and six." Sazh replied. "It requires a combination of five numbers. I'm not really good in hacking stuff." I added again and thought of a combination for the three numbers.

"It has to be her room number. Her room's number thirteen." Vanille added. I entered '15613' and '13156' but both failed. I tried to read the number backwards, but it was also rejected. I thought of a quick idea and entered '11536' but it was also rejected. I banged my fist in annoyance at it.

I entered the last resort; '63511'.

The machine beeped and the gears clicked as the door opened and gave way to another set of stairs. "Thank Etro!" I exclaimed and rushed up the stairs again to find Lightning.

* * *

**A/N: The password was a random idea. The numbers '156' is Lightning's cell number, '15-6' as said by the operator. The '13' was the cell's room. I got '15613' and '13156' by reversing the two sets, and I got '11536' by slipping in a number from the second set (13) from left to right into the first set (156). And '63511', it originated from reversing '11536'. Hope you're not confused.**

**I'll type more shortly after posting this one over here.**

**~ Crystal**


	22. Chapter 22: Limit Break!

**A/N: I still kept my promise, right? Sorry for keeping you waiting.**

**I found out that the theme for this chap matches the title of a song from FF XIII-2 OST (Limit Break! Sung by Shootie HG). Judging by the chap's title, you will know what would happen here.**

**I would like to say thanks to EazyHB for liking this story!**

**Replies:**

**~ EazyHB: Yay a new fan! Welcome to the story ^^ I guess you had to keep up to know the answers of your questions.**

**We'll see what would happen to Lightning.**

* * *

Ten minutes had passed ever since Lightning was dragged into the execution arena. What are left in her thoughts are only Serah and the others. She wished that they would come in time, or else they're doomed. The soldiers had beaten her non-stop and without mercy.

_I guess this is what would happen if I'm a Pulse l'Cie that once joined the GC. _She thought while enduring the pain of the blows and spells directed to her. Dysley had even tried to electrocute her again like in the cell. Her wrists were aching from the shackles and she started coughing blood out from all the punching. The Manadrive spells that are aimed for her are also too strong to resist, even stronger than normal l'Cie magic. The crowd's jeering and mocking are also hard to bear, even for a mere ten minutes.

Lightning heard Dysley talking to the Commander behind her. She can't listen to the words they're saying as it was out of her hearing reach.

But Lightning was also a trained soldier.

At least she would've tried to destroy the shackles binding her to the metal chair. She tried to tug at it, but it was too strong for her to destroy alone. She also felt that even if the others reached the arena in time and retrieved her weapon for her, she can't lift it due to her slowly drained energy.

She heard footsteps from behind and it was Dysley walking to her eye view. "Face it, Farron. PSICOM has eradicated your friends from existence in the prison while they were trying to reach this arena. No one will save you from your death."

"Lies." Lightning spat in anger at the Primarch. "They're alive. I knew it."

"Even if they lived, you will not survive to see them." He retorted and drew back his staff. She can see that the end is extremely pointed like a javelin; one stab would end someone's life. That someone is going to be her today. "You do not deserve to live. This is your end." Dysley lifted his staff and prepared to thrust it into her forehead. She shut her eyes tight and braced for impact.

But it never happened.

A Ruinga went flying through the air and exploded right at Dysley's spot. The explosion knocked him to the ground and the crowd stopped yelling at her, now their expressions turned into one of fear and they started to back away with the soldiers in front of them.

"Too late, old timer!" Fang yelled out from the distance, pointing her lance at the fallen Primarch. Apparently, she's the one that casted the Ruinga. "We came first!" Hope also yelled from behind Vanille. "Ah, who would it be if not my favorite l'Cie." Dysley said as he slowly stood back up with the Commander defending him.

"Shut it old timer," Lia also said from the backlines and aimed Lightning's gunblade at him. "We have no need to listen to all your lies and illusions."

Her words made the crowd's expressions change into one of confusion. Then they started to whisper to each other. "What does she mean?" A female with brown hair said to another. Dysley gave the crowd a heartless grin. "Kill them." He ordered the soldiers.

The soldiers quickly obeyed and aimed their guns and rifles at the civilians instead. Panicked screams started to sound from the crowd, clearly confused about the Primarch's orders to kill them. "You see, l'Cie." He said and pointed his staff at Lightning again. She tugged at her chains as hard as she could. "Take a move and they will die."

"You monster!" Snow yelled at him beside Fang. "How dare you sacrifice your own people?!"

"A fitting sacrifice is required to fulfill what I want." He replied.

After a brief silence, Lightning saw Fang tossing her lance to the ground and lifted her hands up in a surrendering manner. Hope and Vanille also tossed their respective weapons to the ground and copied Fang's gesture. Then it's Sazh and Lia tossing their weapons to the ground, with the latter tossing her gunblade to the ground.

But something odd was happening.

When she tried to register it, the gears inside her clicked and she understood what was happening. Lia's bowsword was absent from the pile of weapons on the ground and she remembered how the versatile weapon can be dismissed from existence.

So this is the plan.

* * *

I didn't summon Arcus into my hands and throw it to the ground like the others did. Six soldiers approached us and held our hands behind our backs and attempted to bring us back to our cells. But they were sadly mistaken.

I jerked my hands to the side and the soldier's grip was loosened on my hands. I twisted his arm as he cried out in pain and I kicked him in the gut. Fang also did the same and punched the soldier holding her on the back of his head. She grabbed her lance from the pile and stabbed the soldiers holding Hope and Vanille as they were too weak to struggle against the soldiers' grip.

Snow and Sazh also did the same and the latter retrieved his weapon from the pile, also handing Vanille's rod and Hope's boomerang to their respective owners. I grabbed Lightning's gunblade, switched it to its gun mode and started firing the soldiers apprehending the civilians. Though I have less skills compared to Lightning's when using a gunblade, but at least I can use it.

Hope's Thundaga made the conditions worse as the civilians started to panic when seeing the bolts raining down from the skies. Dysley backed off from Lightning and fled with the Commander on an airship waiting near the roof. "Don't run away you scaredy-cat!" Fang yelled as she tried to chase Dysley. After all the soldiers were finished, I approached the still chained Lightning and I broke the chains.

"We're worried sick about you, Light!" Vanille said as she hugged Lightning from the back in a death grip and started shaking her shoulders back and forth. Lightning nodded and gave Vanille a smile while I handed her Blazefire. "Thanks for coming."

"That's it, sunshine?" Fang said and offered Lightning a hand. "Welcome back to the party."

"We could give you a homecoming party!" Snow suggested and we all laughed at his suggestion. "With all these people around? I don't think so." I motioned to the civilians that have been watching us all time. "Should we really go now? Besides, I can't wait to whack that Slime-Arch." Sazh said and we laughed again. "Quiet. We don't want these people to know, old man." Fang said and slapped him on his back that made him cough like in the Fifth Ark.

Vanille giggled a bit and released Lightning from her death grip. I spared the civilians a last glance and the others followed Lightning's lead. We rushed down the stairs and back to where we came from. On the way past the eastern corridor, a Proto-Behemoth appeared and challenged us into battle. It was lucky that the corridor had some space for it to fit in.

"Another Behemoth bioweapon? Oh, good." Sazh complained and started firing at its mechanical legs. I casted three Gravitons followed by a Watera to short-circuit it. It swiped its claws and struck Snow, knocking him to the backlines. A gash formed on his chest and Vanille casted her Cura at him, sealing the wound. "Thanks, kiddo!" he said and rushed to punch the mecha square in the face.

Lightning had some problem in casting magic due to all the tormenting she experienced. Her magic ran out faster than we expected; she was forced to use physical attacks soon after. Fang managed to wreck the outer metallic layer of the Proto-Behemoth's left leg and Hope casted a Watera that was absorbed into its system.

It twitched a bit as sparks started to fire off the hole where the Watera hit it. "Guards up!" Lightning commanded and went to the back of the party due to her unable to apply Elude on herself. I applied Steelguard as a bit of steam rose from the same place. It blew up soon after; bits of crackling metal, wires and gears flying in every direction.

"Well, at least we won." I said and rushed to catch up with Lightning past the mangled metals. Down the stairs there are more bioweapons and soldiers waiting for us; we made our way through them in no time. We hurried down the last set of stairs and found a large room.

It was a hangar at the lowest floor of the prison, and there are some military airships around. A blaring alarm sounded across the hangar as soldiers closed in on us. _"Intruder located. Intruder detected as l'Cie." _One of the soldiers said from behind his mask. I took out a Potion from my waist bag and I slipped it into Lightning's hand that was right behind mine.

"On the count of three," she said and readied her gunblade after downing the half-empty vial of Potion. "One... two..." Vanille counted nervously and gripped her rod tightly. "Three!" Fang yelled and rushed to a group of six soldiers and began attacking them. Lightning summoned Odin to help her clearing another fleet that has come from the outside. The soldiers backed off upon seeing Odin's large form as the Eidolon began swinging his Zantetsuken in a graceful manner.

I fired at a group of soldiers and killed them instantly. Snow punched another and knocked the soldier unconscious, while Vanille and Hope are busy casting their spells with Odin shielding them from the bullets. The Eidolon went back into attacking with his Flourish of Steel and Crushing Blow combo all the while casting Thundaga.

Sazh executed his Cold Blood at a group of four soldiers and killed them instantly. I casted a Waterga and Lightning also casted her Thundaga at the same time, doubling the damage. "Odin!" she called out to her Eidolon who gripped her arm and launched her to a group of soldiers while firing in midair. I stabbed a soldier and casted Graviton to another soldier behind me.

Fang split her lance into two and jabbed both sections at a soldier, combining them again and jabbing another to death. Vanille tangled a soldier with the wires of her Binding Rod and swung him around. "I'm not all smiles and sunshine!" she yelled and casted Death to the soldier, killing him instantly. Odin had transformed to his usual horse form and started galloping around the hangar with Lightning on his back, slashing around with Zantetsuken in hand.

More and more soldiers came into the hangar. Vanille had decided to summon Hecatoncheir into the battlefield to help Lightning and Odin. I casted a Thundaga at another group and rushed to help Snow and Fang. Lightning executed the technique Zantetsuken and handed the blade to Odin, "Until next time." he disappeared in a burst of red rose petals and she drew out her own gunblade and started firing.

Hecatoncheir is making his way through a fleet of soldiers and buffeted them with a flurry of kicks and pummeled them to death. Vanille also casted her own Quake spells and attacked with her rod at the same time. The wave of soldiers are never-ending, it looks like we have to be ready for a new wave to come again into the hangar.

"Looks like this'll never end!" Sazh groaned while firing his guns randomly to any soldier. I grabbed one by the throat and kneed him on his torso before throwing him back to the floor and stabbing him. "Be ready anytime, old man!" Snow said from the distance while punching a soldier. Vanille mounted Hecatoncheir in the distance while charging Force Blasters and blasting a fleet away with the cannons. "What's with the fireworks, 'Nille?" Fang asked while laughing a bit.

"You're right on time for the show, Fang!" Vanille replied with a giggle as Hecatoncheir charged his Gaian Salvo. "Come on, Hecaton!"

The Eidolon executed the move and protected his master from the magical blast. After all the dust was gone, what remained were bodies of either unconscious or dead soldiers. She gave her Eidolon a giggle as he lowered her to the ground and waved at him. "See you next time!"

"What a mess." Sazh said while looking around his surroundings. "We have to go." Lightning said, holstering her gunblade.

"_Not so fast."_

A voice sounded across the room and Dysley came into view. "What is it now?" Fang asked casually and put her hands on her hips. _"My army will finish you off before you had the chance to kill me." _He replied in a slightly distorted voice. I raised my eyebrow at his voice, so I dared to walk to him and swung my arm. Instead of contacting with his body, my hand went through thin air.

"It's a screen." I concluded when I saw Menrva sitting on the top of his staff. _"See how stark reality is, l'Cie. I will wait until the day I should destroy Cocoon." _With that, the image flickered and disappeared. "Challenge accepted." Lightning replied and walked outside the hangar.

Fang summoned her Bahamut crystal onto her hand and tossed it up, before catching it as it fell back down. She gave me a grin.

"Time to fly."

* * *

"Where to go now?!" I yelled amidst the rushing wind. "We have to flee to Gran Pulse! It's the only place that's safe enough from all these military guys around!" Vanille replied with the same volume from her spot near Bahamut's tail.

"Watch out, we've got some followers!" Snow said and charged a Blizzaga in his left hand. Three PSICOM airships are following us around. "Unleash hell!" Fang commanded her Eidolon and he charged a Pulsar Burst. I casted a Giga-Graviton at the first one and Bahamut also casted his Pulsar Burst at the same time, easily crushing the airship as it plummeted down the ground.

Snow also casted his spell at the third and Fang too followed with her Ruin spells. Lightning is the only one that didn't attack due to her magic long out at the middle of the fight against the Proto-Behemoth.

A missile struck Bahamut's left wing and he struggled to keep his balance in the air, causing his massive body to tilt ninety degrees to the left and we dangled on his back plate desperately to avoid plummeting down to early death.

Another missile struck his right wing and he completely lost his balance. He shattered into nothingness and the remaining airship returned to where it came from. Vanille screamed as she plummeted down to the ground along with us and Hope is panicking. "We're gonna die!" he cried out and shielded his head with his hands. I acted quickly by summoning Leviathan as he swooped down and caught me.

He maneuvered and caught the others as they dangled on the gold bands along his body. "Sorry if it's too slippery!" I yelled out while hanging on one of the three horns protruding from the back of his head. "Yeah, it really is slippery! Bumpy or not, this is our ride to Gran Pulse!" Fang yelled from behind Snow as she managed to sit on Leviathan's back.

"We're damned if we're like this!" Sazh shouted from his spot behind Lightning. Leviathan activated a magic barrier that prevented us from getting hit the third time today. It's still a long way to reach the crack that would lead to Gran Pulse; we're still above Palumpolum right now.

"How long will it take to reach Gran Pulse?!" this time Hope yelled at me. "I don't know! We have to reach the Hanging Edge first!" I replied and steered Leviathan so he would go nearer to the Hanging Edge's location.

"Oh no!" I heard Vanille said that and I looked behind. I saw a pair of Skytanks chasing us. As if on cue, Leviathan casted a wave of water to the Skytanks and charged another attack. He executed his Whirlpool and destroyed the first Skytank easily. The second fired missiles but they merely bounced off the magic barrier; returning back to the Skytank itself and Leviathan summoned a dark vortex in the sky that almost sucked the Skytank up.

We managed to flee and arrived at the crack that would lead to Gran Pulse. "This is it!" Lightning said as Leviathan flew past the crack and into the skies of Gran Pulse. "Finally, we're free!" Fang yelled and looked down at the scenery below us.

_This is it; we're finally free from the prison. In a mere day, we can break free easily without getting killed. So Barthandelus, I dare you to try and capture us again. See if we're that weak._

* * *

The Eidolon landed in the Archylte Steppe near the base of the cliff. He transformed to his usual form after we dismounted him and gave me a nod of respect. "Thanks." Leviathan faded away and his crystal materialized on the hilt of my weapon again, waiting to be summoned once more.

"I guess we have to look for something to eat. I'm starved." Vanille said. Fang spotted a pack of Gorgonopsids nearby. Luckily, the poisoning is gone and now we can eat almost anything. She drew out her lance and went after the pack. "And I guess we should camp, too." Snow said. "And don't forget about training, but we can think of it tomorrow. I have only one place in mind; the Faultwarrens." I added and went after Fang.

"Got one?" I asked Fang and she nodded back while dragging the dead creature under the cliff. "Luckily there's no poisoning anymore. We can eat as usual." Then she began cutting the meat with my dagger.

"We've gotta make a new pouch. That means wrestling with a Behemoth."

"I'll do it." I replied and went to look for some twigs. Some of our equipment had been ruined after the army captured us. That includes the pouch we made and the smaller one. I picked up some twigs scattered around the cliff's base near some Dire Flans and returned to where the others are. I tossed down the twigs and Vanille casted a Fire to it.

"If we want to win against Barthandelus, we have to be stronger. Do any of you have ideas?" Lightning began, folding her arms over her chest. "Finish all sixty-four Cie'th stone missions scattered across Gran Pulse. Especially those that are in the circle we found at the Eastern Tors." I replied.

"And the Faultwarrens. The fal'Cie Titan will give us challenges to complete. But now the area's blocked by two Palings..." Vanille finished.

"We'll check it out as soon as we finished eating." Hope suggested. We ate in silence. No one spoke up for at least a good ten minutes before Fang broke the silence. "Lightning," she gave the said soldier a serious face. "How can you endure all the tormenting while to me it all felt like hell?"

Lightning shrugged. "I guess it's Serah."

"Right." I said. "But you were the one that done most of the job, Lia." Vanille gave me a thumbs-up at her words. "You were the one that freed us! How can you break out of the cell?"

"I froze the chains. It took me a whole night to freeze it. Then after the chains shattered I knocked out a soldier that had our keys. It's that simple." I replied with a nod." I said. "But you were the one that done most of the job, Lia." Vanille gave me a thumbs-up at her words. "You were the one that freed us! How can you break out of the cell?"

"I froze the chains. It took me a whole night to freeze it. Then after the chains shattered I knocked out a soldier that had our keys. It's that simple." I replied with a nod. She gave me a confused look. "How?"

I looked around and found a flower beside me. I picked it up and it froze into a crystal flower upon contact with my hand and I handed it to Vanille. She tilted her head to the side while examining the flower. "Can it break?" "Try it." She lifted the flower and tossed it hard to the ground. It didn't break. "It's too strong. Then how come can you break the chains?"

I picked the flower up and tossed it in the same manner as Vanille. It shattered immediately into shards when it hit the ground. "I guess it's only me who can break things like this."

"Alright, enough for the chit-chat. We've gotta get going to the Faultwarrens." Fang said and stood up, dusting her blue sari. "Alright." Lightning said and left at the head of the party.

* * *

"Where is this 'Faultwarrens'?" Sazh asked on the way. "It's high on a cliff. You can't reach it without using a Chocobo." Vanille replied and skipped ahead to Fang. We found a flock of Chocobos by a small pond, but there was only five available.

"Oh, joy. I don't want to wait down there." He said and approached one. "Why don't 'Nille go with me and Hope go with someone?" Fang said as she helped Vanille on one and mounted it herself. "Uh... I-I guess I'll go with Light." He replied with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Hey, hey, no need to be shy like that." Fang teased and Lightning gave her a punch on the arm. "Shut up." She said and mounted another Chocobo with Hope following shortly after.

All the Chocobos let out a happy 'Kweh' and broke off into a run to the cliff. They made a beeline to avoid monsters along the way and stopped at the base of the cliff. "Well, no hiking again, right?" Sazh said while wondering how these birds could jump to a cliff that high. "Trust me, old man." Fang said and gave a wink, before her Chocobo leaped very high and reached the top of the cliff, Vanille letting out a thrilled cry at the movement.

"Wait, what?" he said and hung tightly on his Chocobo's neck, fearing that he might fall. The other Chocobos leaped onto the cliff and followed Fang's through the Aggra's Through.

They stopped at the pasture and we dismounted them as they joined a lone Chocobo by the flock of sheep nearby. Vanille giggled when she saw the largest sheep among the smaller ones and walked by it. She pets the sheep's head and ran her hand through the wool, and tried to pull a tuft.

"Vanille? Don't do that." Snow reminded from the distance at the entrance to the Haerii Oldroad. "No, it's okay, I just wanted some. They're too adorable!" she replied and pulled at the wool as hard as she could. The sheep bleated in annoyance and tried to walk away but ended up collapsing on its side when she managed to pull out the wool. "Sorry," she said and backed off while stuffing the wool into her bag. "You're not mad at me, right?"

We just laughed at her manners and walked off. "Come on, 'Nille!" Fang called out and walked first. "Coming!" Vanille replied with a giggle and followed her.

We found the Paling shortly after. It tells us to find the Undying Syphax deep in the Mah'habara Subterra. "We made a long way here, and it told us to come back to Mah'habara?" I raised an eyebrow at the Focus of the stone. "Might as well find this 'Syphax'." Fang said and returned to the pasture.

"Syphax... I've heard his name before." I uttered and followed her back to the pasture.

* * *

The Chocobos leapt down the cliff and ran to the entrance of Mah'habara.

They made a beeline and avoided monsters in the way—well, most of them, and stopped at the entrance. Strangely, the fighting Megistotherian and Behemoth King aren't present there.

We dismounted the Chocobo and went inside the entrance. The place is even quieter than before and most of the robots are gone. Only mangled metals are present on the ground. "What happened?" Hope asked on the way to the old bridge. "I don't know. Something or someone is wrecking the tunnels." I replied as we crossed the bridge.

"Maybe it's... Syphax?" Vanille asked and walked closer to Fang. "Maybe." The latter replied while looking around for any signs of danger.

We returned to where Atomos was and he was waiting there. Probably he's back from the Sullya Springs. Lightning spotted another pathway and used Atomos as a bridge to cross to the other side. We followed her and into the Asylum from Light.

Various crystals are seen around the area, illuminating the pathway with a rather eerie glow. We spotted some Strigoi around and we'd rather avoid them.

The Asylum of Light was quite familiar to me, as it was the place where the Pulsian miners first found the substance to make the recording drive's core. Some of the monopod demons are around, screeching as they danced gracefully in the higher grounds of the Subterranean.

"Wow, this place is really beautiful." Snow said while inspecting the surroundings. We walked through the place and ended at the Abandoned Dig. "It's a dead end." Lightning said. "Should we go back to the entrance?" Sazh asked while pulling out his guns in anticipation.

"No. We have to find that Undying." Fang replied. Sounds of screeching echoed across the area, making us huddle closer and stand back-to-back. "What was that?" Hope asked and readied a spell on his casting hand—just in case of anything. "Syphax." I replied and summoned Arcus into my hand.

From a metal gate nearby, five Cie'th appeared and screeched. They looked like Chonchons and Penanggalans, but no, this isn't one of them.

"There are _five _Syphax?" Snow said and readied a stance. "No, there is only one Syphax. This must be his minions, the Numidia. We have to destroy all of them before we can find which one is Syphax." I replied him and started to cast random Aerora spells around.

"Hit 'em with the wind!" Fang said and casted her Aero spells at the fifth Numidia. They appeared to attack relentlessly and quickly, we have to dispatch them quickly. Hope and Sazh combined their Aeroga and blew the Numidias around, and they died instantly. Five more Numidia appeared and attacked us. "Just how many Numidias are there?" Hope asked while casting his Aeroga again.

"I don't know, maybe around twenty!" I replied and stabbed one to the ground and flung the corpse to another Numidia that was unaware of the dead one flying towards him.

I counted them twice to make sure of it. We have killed around fourteen of them, and more will appear soon. Six appeared and ganged up on me and Lightning. I slashed at one and killed it, Lightning firing at the second and I casted an Aerora to the third and fourth, also killing them instantly. Lightning finished off the final two as six more appeared.

My count reached twenty-six. It was an odd number; why don't make it twenty-five? Seemingly it was a trick until the time one of them is actually Syphax.

We finished five in no time; however, one of them resisted all the blows we delivered. In a flash of white light, the twenty-sixth and final Numidia transformed into the Undying Syphax. It's like what I predicted. Electric currents flowed on his tail and he prepared to strike us. It was his revenge for his fallen fellow Numidia.

Hope and Sazh quickly cast Barthunder on all of us in case of more electric shocks. Syphax whipped Snow with his pointed tail and that sent currents into his system, though partially nullified. He used Grave Summons and summoned five more Numidia into the battlefield. We killed all the Numidia quickly and started hammering Syphax with magic.

Fang casted Ruin spells continuously at him and Snow helped. I casted Graviton and followed by a Water Multicast. Syphax let out a lamenting cry and his cries made us cover our ears and I felt that he also inflicted us with Debrave and Defaith. Hope and Vanille removed the ailments quickly and went back into casting spells.

I fired at Syphax and three of my shots hit the target. Lightning also started firing bullets to preserve her magic, and Fang along with Sazh are casting spells at the Undying. Syphax twitched and whipped her on her arm and the currents flowed again, but this time it was stronger as the Barthunder started to wane.

The Synergists renewed the spell and added Shell to us. I tried to stab Syphax, but try hard as I may, it would be hard to do so. The ones capable of casting Aero started casting more and I casted some of my Blizzard spells, I hadn't used them for a long time.

Syphax started to back off when the spells dealt more damage than usual. He repeated his Lamenting Cry but the spell was ineffectual. He performed Revenge for the Fallen again and that struck me. I staggered back a few steps and I started to fire more arrows in return. Lightning and Hope executed their Thunderstorm move and blew Syphax to the metal gate where all the Numidia originated, also electrocuting him at the same time. He let out a final screech and died after Fang stabbed him with her lance. He vanished into the rainbow-hued orb shortly after.

"We have to go back to the Haerii Oldroad. The Paling's gone now, we can see Haerii." Vanille explained while folding her rod. We agreed wordlessly and followed Lightning's lead back to the city.

* * *

A red aura surrounded the red Cie'th stone. The Paling has long gone and now we have the freedom to explore the Haerii Archaeopolis.

"Wow, another city?" Hope asked in awe as he looked around. "Most of their people are miners that mined in the subterranean area." I explained and we began exploring the city. "Hey, I saw a gold Cie'th stone over there. Let's check out its Focus." Sazh said and began climbing on a fallen pillar across the narrow opening near some Goblins.

Fang activated the stone and it wanted us to kill an Adamanchelid. "What is an 'Adamanchelid'?" Snow asked while folding his arms over his chest. "No way we could kill that thing. One stomp and it's game over." She replied and left the stone. "It's a really big thing, Snow. If we went head-on to fight it, then it's called suicide." Vanille explained and followed her older friend.

"Those are the things that looked like a dinosaur around the Steppe. You wanna kill it? Do it yourself." I said and left, following the two Oerbans into a new pathway past a Strigoi. There is another Paling blocking access to the Faultwarrens. I activated it and it told us to kill an Undying. "Great. It's another Undying mission." Fang said while putting her hands on her hips. "She's gonna whack us." Vanille added to her friend's comment.

"It's a 'she'?" Lightning asked behind me. "The Undying is a girl." I replied. "She was once a human girl I knew of. She's from Haerii. Her name is Zenobia."

We returned to Haerii to look for Zenobia. We were splitting around and thinking of some way to provoke her out of hiding. After around fifteen minutes of futile search, we gathered at a dead end near a group of Nelapsi. "Did anyone find her?" Hope asked and none of us answered. I looked around to take a closer check on things. Some of the flying Cie'th nearby fled as hollow footsteps sounded nearby, and the Strigois left the area.

"It's her." Fang said and drew out her lance. A wail followed shortly after and a mysterious shadow formed on the stone wall surrounding us. It was Zenobia, standing in the pathway that would lead to the Faultwarrens. She walked closer to us and flailed her tentacles, the Vaballathus.

Zenobia let out a deafening wail once again as she neared us and attempted to engage us in a battle. Before she managed to attack us, a light attracted her attention and she lowered her right arm, looking for the source of light. Something approached the eight of us.

There in the shadows, a Tonberry stood with a bloodstained knife ready on its left hand. It walked closer and shone the lantern to Zenobia's tall figure and turned its head to look straight at her supposed face.

Zenobia wailed again and attempted to get rid of the small creature. But before she had the chance, the Tonberry swiftly knives Zenobia on her legs and she collapsed before the creature, and the latter creature stabbed her again in the red eye with its knife and drawing it back. The move killed her and she vanished into an orb of light.

"What in the world...? It had just killed an Undying!" Sazh exclaimed in confusion as the Tonberry flicked its knife. "Well, it's a small creature, we can easily defeat—"Snow said.

"No." I cut him off and I eyed the creature's movements. "This creature, the Tonberry, held a grudge to all the creatures it met. One wrong move and its ultimate grudge will kill us." I explained. "It's kinda fast for its size. We have to be careful and move quickly before it stabbed us." Fang said and readied her lance beside her.

"Small but strong monster." Lightning finished. The Tonberry gave us a strange look and raised its lantern. "Kinda weird for a monster, it carries a knife on its left hand, a lantern on the other and wears a white robe-like thing." Hope commented.

"Well, at least we can eat its tail." Vanille shrugged while unfolding her rod. "Only one way to find out..." I uttered and readied a stance.

* * *

The fight had gone for a long time and the Tonberry was barely injured.

We had cuts and scrapes all over our legs and arms sometimes, if the thing was lucky enough. The knife it held was covered in more and more blood as it managed to stab us anytime we tried to attack it.

The grudging creature was now chasing Vanille and it managed to slash her at her ankles, making her fall down and let out a scream as it prepared to stab her. Fang saw this and immediately provoked it to get its attention. When the knife was just inches away from Vanille's forehead, it stopped and pulled back its knife, and turned to Fang.

Yes, for a creature this small, it held the record of being a sadistic serial killer.

I heard from the elders' tales that many had fell trying to fight this mysterious creature. None had ever succeeded in killing it, and now we're trying to beat the record by trying to kill this one in order to gain access to the Faultwarrens.

I casted Quake and the ground shook and cracked as dust flew around us. When the dust disappeared, the Tonberry is desperately trying to back away from the earth-based spell. "That's its weakness!" Hope exclaimed, healing a cut along his forearm and casted Quake again. Vanille followed and Fang casted a Ruinga, sending the creature flying in the air.

Once it fell down, it stood back up again and gave us a seemingly hateful look. The Tonberry shook its tail and advanced towards Lightning, who was firing bullets at it. It managed to dodge the bullets in fluid movements with its knife. She jumped onto a fallen pillar quickly and rounded the area.

The Tonberry was now focusing on me as it tried to stab me. I attempted to disarm it, but the creature had such a strong hold on the knife and my blow missed, and instead it stabbed me on my left ankle. Blood spurted out of the wound and I fell to the ground with a cry. I tried to cast a Regen, but the spell was canceled when the creature swiftly knives me on my right wrist.

_Damn, I'm going to die the second time today. _I cursed inwardly and tried to stab it in return, but it evaded the blow and raised the knife, attempting to kill me but it was canceled when Fang came in and whacked the Tonberry to its side with her lance. She proceeded into stabbing it over and over until it met its doom.

"That's a record!" she exclaimed, returning her lance to its usual place. She grabbed the Tonberry's corpse by its feet and held it upside down, "We'll be the first team to kill a Tonberry!"

"Hey! Anyone please help me stand up again!" I waved at the others and Lightning helped me back on my feet. I limped back to a corner and sat down. "What are we going to do with this?" Hope said and poked the Tonberry's head. "Use it as a proof. We can also eat its tail!" Vanille said as she grabbed the bloodstained knife and cringed a bit at it.

Sazh grabbed the lantern and examined it with Snow, while Vanille put down the knife and helped me by bandaging the injured part after casting a Curaga to it. "Well, the wound's a bit deep, but it's okay! Problem is, you can't run around for a while..." she said and sat down beside me.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and casted my own Regen to it. "We'll go to the Faultwarrens tomorrow. We have to rest for a while here." Lightning said and sat down across me, with Fang and Hope preparing the fire. I might as well try eating a Tonberry's tail...

Nighttime had fallen over Gran Pulse and we camped here for the night. Vanille told me how to cook a Tonberry's tail and she told me to be careful with it. A slight mistake can ruin the texture.

She cut it into seven pieces and passed it to the others as soon as it was already cooked. Hope took a hesitant bite and winced a bit. "It's like a jelly..." he said. "But it tastes really good otherwise." He added and took another bite.

Well, I have to admit, even though it was gelatinous, it was actually a delicious treat. A rare one for sure.

Snow had volunteered to take the first watch for one-third of the night and Fang volunteered for the next watch. I can hear her talking about something to Lightning, who had stayed awake in case of anything before going to sleep as well. I can hear bits of their conversation about what happened to the former back in Eden.

It was nothing for me to take care about. I better do my own business rather than care for someone's. I spared my wounded ankle a last glance before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Oh well ^^**

**I would like to imagine how a Tonberry's tail tastes. It's said a dish named 'Chef's Grudge' consists of cooked Tonberry tail, so I decided to make use of it in this chapter. I never thought that thing is edible.**

**The next chapter will continue in the Faultwarrens. I guess if it's too long, then I'll split the location into two chapters. See you next time!**

**~ Crystal**


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